


Zatarra: A Tale of Revenge

by ThusSpokeRaven



Category: Nikita (TV 2010)
Genre: BDSM, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Female-Centric, Femslash, Gen, Romance, Violence, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 11:51:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 48
Words: 61,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/991697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThusSpokeRaven/pseuds/ThusSpokeRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This fic is primarily Fem-slash. It centers around Alexandra Udinov and Nikita Mears. </p><p>Nikita never left Division. She never saved Alex the night of Operation Pale Fire. She remains Percy and Amanda's darling, and Division's greatest weapon. More will be revealed in time.</p><p>So, what happened to Alexandra the night her family was slaughtered by a Division strike team? I will tell you what did not happen in this AU version. She was never a sex slave, and she was never a drug addict. </p><p>You have to read on to find out the rest. I hope that you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Flashbacks and dreams will always be in italics.

* * *

_"Ask me to forgive a man for stealing my love... a lover's deception; very well, since you ask it I forgive him that. Ask me to forgive him for stealing fourteen years of my life; very well, forgiven. But forgive him for destroying my father? Never, madam! Never!" - Edmond Dantes (The Count of Monte Cristo)_

* * *

 

She cut through the thick fog that seemed to hide her from view of the well dressed Italian man waiting for her in the alley way. Before he knew it, she was within inches of him. He hated when she did this, and she always, always did it.

He jumped as she appeared. "Damn it kid, a little warning would ya. You'll give me a fucking heart attack."

"Sorry." came the soft low voice. She smiled in amusement. He was always so jumpy during their clandestine meetings. This was definitely one of those moments. The rolling fog, the skittering rodents, even the bum with the wine bottle hanging outside the brown paper sack. Yep, definitely a cliche New York fucking moment, she figured.

He gazed at her fondly. "Everything you need for your new adventure is in the bag. Mr. Fletcher wishes you the best of luck. He hoped that he could see you before-"

She interrupted, "Yeah, thanks. Tell him I'll be in touch." She turned to disappear just as she came. Like some sleek super hero that could materialize at will.

"Hey, kid. Are you sure about this?" he questioned.

She stopped dead in her tracks. "I'm not a kid." She muttered, disappearing back into the fog in which she came.

 

* * *

**The**  red neon light flickered on and off as she stared out of the motel window. Sighing, the brunette sat up on the side of the mattress. Another nightmare, another day in the life of the anxious young woman with four aliases and no real place to call her home. It had been more than five years since she started on this journey. Years of her life spent training in Japan and Europe. Years tracking down every lead since the night her world changed forever. The moment had finally arrived. She had found them. Payback was not only a bitch - it was a Russian bitch. The clock was about to run out on her enemies as far as she could tell. She was ready.

 

* * *

**Her**  blue eyes pinged behind her lids as she dreamed of the past. Her father put her to bed with a kiss and a story. It was often their routine when he was not away on business. She was awakened by strange popping noises. Sounds that she thought at first she thought were fire works. Annika, the upstairs maid ran in calling her name and clutching her against her chest. "We have to be very quiet and still little miss," she whispered before dragging the girl under the large canopy bed and against the wall. Boots thudded down the hall. The smell of smoke began to filter into the room where they hid.

Her father Nikolai ran through the hall and into the open door of the bedroom where the young girl hid with Annika. Her tears flooded her cheeks as she heard the boots of another enter the room just behind him. Several shots rang out before his lifeless body fell to the carpeted floor below. Annika's hand tightened on Alexandra's mouth before she could scream.

When the house grew quiet again Annika carried her out, trying but failing to get her unseeing past the bloody pools surrounding people who had been around her her whole life. Her tears flowed for security guards, maids, and near the terrible end of their journey through the house, her mother. Alexandra Udinov barely registered the next several hours of her life. She had been loved and protected her entire existence. Now she was cold and Annika was all that kept her from feeling alone.

Even Annika was gone soon. She took the young girl to a tall, handsome well dressed man surrounded by other men bearing guns. He looked familiar to her. Annika disappeared into his office for more than an hour as she sat shaking in a chair across from the closed door. When Annika returned she grabbed the young girl and held her close.

"It will be okay now, Alexandra." Annika wept and told her she would be safe and even as Alex cried out and clung to her, she pulled away and left her there. Her father's bloody corpse laying still in her mind's eye was her faithful companion now.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex bent over and breathed hard as she finished her run. She wasn't really panting but she had to hold back some. She had to paint a picture for the vermin who destroyed her life and killed her family. She was pretending to be a normal recruit. Rock bottom, but gifted. She had to show herself fighting her way up to the potential they believed she might have. Alex could not under any circumstances demonstrate her lifetime of hard training or they would smell a rat and she would lose her chance at vengeance.

She looked up at the feet moving into her field of vision. A beautiful woman with Asian features stood there watching her appraisingly. Alex raised a brow. "Yes?"

She kept her reflexes slow, just deflecting the blow enough to avoid time in medical. "What the fuck?" she snarled.

"Just checking," Nikita offered with a smile and jogged off.

"Bitch," Alex responded under her breath.

"Better watch it," one of her fellow trainees noted. "That bitch is Nikita, Queen of Death. She is Division's star agent, and Percy and Amanda's darling. Piss her off if you want out of here on a slab." He stretched and went over to the punching bags.

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  put her shower caddy on the shelf in her room. She had some studies to work on before she turned in for the night. She read through the complicated dance of titles that she was to memorize for an upcoming class on passing in society. She smiled.

It had been but a few months ago that she was doing just that to thwart Division. She had been sheltered by Annika's brother, a mobster who had been freed by her father to take care of various things for Zetrov. He had not expected to be taking care of the heir, but he was grateful to repay the family who had saved his life so long ago.

He was still a traveller of the darker side. He taught her to navigate the criminal underworld and in time she came to hear whispers of those who had destroyed her world. Division. She studied death in every form should could learn from one end of the world to the other. She had a gift and she would use it to bring Division to its knees.

When Alex learned which jobs Division was taking for pay, she would set out to destroy their work. Stop assassination there. End negotiations here. It was a finger in a dike. She needed to do more. She would become Division to destroy it.

Closing her book she turned out her light. She still had dreams of the dead but she slept the sleep of the righteous.

 

* * *

**Failure**  is not an option, she told herself each day. Failure had forced her to work from the inside. Failure from the inside was a casket or a vat of acid waiting to happen. She would not fail again she thought as she mindlessly punched a bag and thought of the night that drove her to work inside her Nemesis Beast.

_Alex slid along the parapet. This crumbling castle had a face-lift for tonight, but only the face was lifted. Everywhere beyond the areas the public were currently moving through were filled to the brim with tool boxes and scaffolding and construction materials. She dropped lightly to the floor of the tower and then through the trap door._

_There was a donor party below her. Heavy wallets and power players filled the huge ballroom of the castle. It had been the ancestral home of a political rising star and he wanted to evoke images of Camelot and once and future kings._

_Alex really didn't give a shit about his political aspirations or his leanings. He was targeted by Division for replacement by a look alike. It sounded like a plot for a really bad movie but there it was, and here she was. She moved down the hall. She stopped short and pulled back behind a pile of cement bags and other supplies. A guard stood between her and the two men who went into a dark room, one in a tux and looking an awful lot like the asshole downstairs. He could only be Division's double and replacement for the real man._

_She took a breath and watched the two come back out and slowly make their way down a curling staircase. The guard turned to follow as she moved out of sight. She raised the pistol with the silencer and shot him. Watching a moment, she made sure the guys on the staircase didn't come back up. Another guard emerged from a side corridor, smashing into her sending her gun spinning._

_She fell hard into the work-stand. Slashing a bag with her knife Alex scooped concrete into his face. He hesitated as it hit and she threw a half full water bottle as a follow up. Alex ran for the gun and shot him in the nick of time. Foot pounding past his now grey face, she made her way to the stairs and began to descend. Grabbing both rails her feet shot up and out to stop the guard running back up the stairs toward her._

_Vaulting over the unconscious man she bounced and skidded down another floor's worth of curving stairs. She ducked back slightly to eyeball the situation. A beautiful Asian complected woman in a long gown led the politician to his double and his doom. Alex's knuckles smashed into the rock of the wall. She pulled back as the other woman looked around._

_Division wins. It tasted like ashes in her mouth. She ran up the stairs and began moving along the roof-line again looking for the scaffold down. It was time and past time to start thinking of taking Division down from the inside. Half a step behind was just not fast enough. A new plan was in order._

_She needed to get Division's attention, and with the help of her contact Ryan Fletcher she was ready to assume a new identity. That of a drug addicted murderer heading for death row. Alex started hanging at a seedy drug den. She found a very suggestible young punk to sell the whole thing she had planned. His name was Ronnie and he dealt drugs on the far south side. She knew he was perfect the moment she watched him beat and nearly rape a fourteen year old runaway. He was the kind of scum bag Zatarra, her masked hero alter ego, loved to bring down. The world would be better without Ronnie in it. She gave him a heavy needle and a story of how he could get rich fast helping her rob a place. It was easy, and he was a gullible fool. He would be high and happy and ready to rock for a couple hours and then boom, he would be laying dead in a pool of vomit, the other robber in a mask dead of an over dose. It was a win-win, Alexandra thought, kill a rapist and poison pusher, and get herself inside the belly of the beast. Division. Her needle carried an incredibly heavily dose of drugs. Pure and uncut, she had to be very careful not to over dose herself. It was enough to convince them she was also off the rails, not enough to fuck with her long term. She hated drugs, and never wanted to be near them for personal reasons, but she was willing to get dirty this once._

_They pulled on the animal masks and headed to the address Alex told him was a great place to steal some drugs and cash. She grabbed a gun and held it on one of Division's future targets while the high chump knocked bottles that he would never know were full of pills for male pattern baldness and limp dicks into a filthy pillowcase. She made a big show of looking over at him and yelling, "Hurry."_

_The stupid target rushed her as planned. She put lead through his chest and stomach without any hesitation. Ronnie backed up and then ran like hell. She pretended to trip for the security cam and then slowly got up while waiting for the local cops to pick her up and yank the bunny mask from her face._

Alex looked up as the instructor called her. She stood. Division fell for it. Hell. One pretty white young woman with almost no past and a knack for killing? One that killed one of their own targets? They salivated as they snatched her sexy little ass up. She sold them a bill of goods. She was going to shove the receipt down their throat.

 

* * *

**Alex**  closed her eyes as she sat at her desk. For years she ate, drank, slept, breathed and dreamed of revenge. Every moment from the little girl being told the truth about death and about the kind of death that had befallen her family was about her vengeance.

Fedya, her guide, her guardian, her protector knew about revenge. He had been betrayed and left for dead when he was young. He found his sister in the household of Alex's father and found his own justice between his work for the older Udinov. Alex learned to fight, to think, to plan under his careful tutelage, and when her need to learn outstripped his knowledge, he found her other teachers in other lands from Japan to America. He was Abbe Faria to her Edmond Dantes. He embraced her as a daughter, just as his own family embraced the young Udinov as their own.

To complete her mission, she had to destroy the Division that killed her family and destroyed her young life. Before she could send the ship down beneath the waves, she had to stand over the body of the agent that watched her father's life seep from his body. She breathed slowly, almost meditatively before opening her eyes.

"Alexandra?" came from her doorway.

She pushed her chair back and turned as she stood to face the intruder. "Yes," she answered as she looked over the woman there.

A slow smile did nothing to make the woman look friendlier, but instead made her appear as a snake shortly after swallowing a mouse. "I'm Amanda. I believe we have a tutorial this afternoon."

"Tutorial?"

"Follow me." Amanda moved with a snake's deadly grace. She led the way into a rather incongruous room. It was lavishly appointed with filigree and other marks of culture and taste. A far cry from the steel and concrete that dominated the bulk of the facility. Amanda drew long fingers down a row of plastic covered formal wear. "I am given to understand that you have spent the bulk of your misspent youth in jeans and tennis shoes acting like, well, rather like a wild animal." She turned slowly toward Alex, her lips curling slowly again. "Excellent. I find a recruit who doesn't leap for my throat the first time I insult them doesn't always make it through our little program, but has a much better shot than the one who does and ends up dead at my feet." She stepped toward Alex and lifted her chin. "I see you Alexandra. You watch. You wait. Now its time to begin making your actions mean something."

"I thought that's what the kung fu shit was about."

Amanda chuckled. "All the kung fu shit in the world won't save you if you fail to get close enough to your target to be effective. You fail to do that and there will be a line around the block to take you out." Amanda raised her manicured finger and tapped Alex's temple.

Amanda stepped back and looked her over. "The first thing will be to make you walk then run in heels. I can make you look older and elegant, but if you can't keep your ankles firm while strutting through a party, then a dress and training in manners would be wasted on you." Her eyes dropped momentarily. She smiled and walked to an antique cupboard. She withdrew a box and offered it to the young woman. Her brow rose.

Alex took the box. "Thanks," she muttered.

"You say, 'Thank you Amanda.'" Amanda prompted, "and do try to say it like a real girl and not a ventriloquist's dummy."

Alex drew herself up. "Thank you Amanda."

"You're welcome Alexandra. Now go walk a few laps in those. Tomorrow, we really begin." Amanda turned clearly dismissing her.

The young Russian walked slowly around the track, occasionally pretending she had a brief loss of balance. She had to keep up the pretense. She had to keep a delicate balance between being useful but not being so good that they got suspicious. Her cover as a street kid with hella potential had to hold. Something as simple as heels could not trip her up on her way to her revenge.

She smiled as she remembered her first time in heels.  _Alex had made herself look older and walked into a wine tasting in an elegant red dress. She spotted the Division agent right away. They were trying to be subtle and look like they were not looking at their intended target but subtle can be its own giveaway. Her brow arched delicately as she took a glass of champagne. How to break up the game without giving Division a face to worry about? She saw one of the waiters move his head slightly as if an aborted nod. He spoke a couple words with no one else around. A second player. Lovely._

_Alex moved closer to the doors from which the waiters emerged in a near constant stream. She sipped at her glass and waited several moments. As assassin-waiter boy moved to get a fresh tray and make himself less suspicious she made her move. Without his watchful gaze, she slipped behind the target and hit him with an injection pen as she tripped into him. He winced unaware of what she did. Alexandra apologized and moved on to the assassin. She slipped the pen into his pocket as she passed._

_Moments after she sat at a small table near the exit, the assassin moved into position near the target. He was stepping in close as the injection struck his intended target. The target fell like a dead man and the bodyguard jumped at the agent. They smashed to the floor. The injection pen spun out of the assassin's pocket. The guard roared as he saw it and drove his fist into the man's chest. They battled their way across the floor before the agent kicked the guard in the face and dove in through the kitchen door shortly followed by the faux waiter._

_Alex took another sip of her champagne. She left as the local police came running through the party. She pulled the pads of latex off her fingers and walked slowly toward her car. The target of assassination would live to be assassinated another day, but for now? She would get to enjoy watching what happened when Division got a wasp's nest dropped on it._

She continued around the track becoming aware of someone walking beside her. Alex looked over to see Nikita striding beside her. "You really took to the heels," Nikita offered. "Amanda'd be so proud."

Alex snorted. "I got the impression that she doesn't get that warm and fuzzy."

"Most of us here don't. You got around the track at a walk. Do a run. You might be my back up one day and if you don't run to cover me, I'll kill you myself." The beautiful dark haired woman headed for the stairs toward Percy who had been observing them.


	3. Chapter 3

Zatarra. Alexandra always laughed when the smugglers called Edmond Dantes Zatarra. It was so tough sounding and yet it translated to driftwood. How very scary. She thought long and hard before beginning her quiet war with Division from the outside. She slid along the periphary of Division activities as a nobody freelance assassin, occasionally bidding for the same jobs. When her war began, she was Zatarra. Vengeance disguised as a bit of floating wood.

When she became Alex the Division dead beat in training, Zatarra was still in her heart. She fought hard to float, to remain a contender, without drawing unwanted attention. That time was coming to a close. She was still Zatarra, the hidden danger to Division, but she had to begin to excel to get attention, to get trust, to get access to the things she needed. Names, she needed names and middle of the pack was going to get her easier jobs in the field but nowhere in the ocean of paranoia she was floating in. She needed high profile, high risk sucesses to get to her destination. She needed to be Zatarra with Nikita's engines.

She dabbed her face and stepped over to where Nikita was kicking the shit out of a punching bag. "Want to spar?" she asked.

Nikita turned and looked her up and down. "You aren't ready for me," she responded.

Alex snorted. "I can hold my own." She turned and walked back to the mat. She held open her arms.

"I won't hold back."

Alex smirked. "Good."

Nikita nodded and stepped onto the mat with her. They circled briefly, just watching, judging. Nikita launched a kick toward Alex's chest. Alex dropped and slammed her foot into Nikita's knee just as the older woman was shifting it back.

"Interesting," Nikita offered as she circled.

"Little known fact, thousands of years of sword fighting and knife fighting, people still tend to go for central body or head. Legs are considered less honorable, though it was more a matter of leaving yourself open for counter-strikes." She grinned. "Foster dad was a history channel freak."

Nikita's brows twitched and she powered through a fast series of punches, Alex blocking them almost without thought. This was it. She had to get Nikita to want to work with her. She had to make Nikita have faith in her ability to hold her own without feeling completely threatened. She fired off a punch, just a hair slow and wide. Nikita blocked and she grabbed the other woman's wrist. Alex latched her leg around Nikita's and sent them both to the floor. She faked getting wind knocked out of her just long enough for Nikita to get on her and hold her fist up.

"Sexy woman on top, I like it," Alex quipped breathlessly. Nikita pushed off her and walked away. She smiled from the mat before sitting on a bench and digging out a towel, while watching her fellow recruits.

She looked up as Nikita sat beside her. She was dressed for the real world. Alex whistled. Nikita's brow shot up. "Taken Newbie." She smiled and watched Percy in his glass walled office.

"Now that is a pity," Alex muttered.

Nikita snorted. "Watch it or I'll wipe the mat with you again."

"Mmmm and cocky too. That taker better treat you right or I'll take him or her out."

Laughter burbled up from Nikita. A few of the recruits peeked at them slightly shocked looking. She slapped the back of Alex's head lightly. "Be good. We'll spar when I get back." She stood and walked away. Alex's eyes followed amused.

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  sat on the edge of the mat. Her jaw tightened as two of her fellow recruits began needling her. She had to keep her cover. She could not kill them. She took a deep breath and tried to let the annoying insect people live.

She turned to look at the woman. "I didn't kill anyone. I don't want to kill anyone," she snapped.

The young woman looked taken aback a moment. "Going to have to get over that," Jaden advised as she stood for her turn getting pummeled.

Alex watched her calmly. She did as a matter of fact kill the man who got her in here. She also added an unaware partner in crime to her already impressive tally as well. Death was part of the gig in here, out there, didn't matter. Another day at the office.

 

* * *

**Michael**  called out as Alex went past. "Alex." He turned and handed the folder in his hands to the woman beside him as he moved to intercept her.

She stopped and smiled. Michael, while still Division agent and therefore bad guy, was a cheerleader for mom and apple pie and Division's roles in both. He was pretty much the teddy bear of her mentors. "What can I do for you Michael?"

He lifted a hand indicating a walk. She watched his face curiously as they set out around the track. "You've been noticed."

She fretted a moment inwardly. "Noticed good or noticed bad?" Her eyes flicked up to Percy's office as if waiting for thunderbolts to come flying at her.

Michael smiled. "If you were noticed bad, we probably wouldn't be having a conversation." He looked around. "I know its hard. Its a new life and certainly not one we were raised for, but you have taken to that life. You are going to be an asset to Division and to our country." He shrugged. "I just wanted you to know that we like what we see."

Alex smiled. "Thanks." For a moment, she felt like she did when she was a little girl handing her proud papa a finger painting. Her smile faltered. "Am I getting a mission?"

Michael nodded. "Scared?"

"A little."

He snorted. "You'd have to be stupid not to be. I nearly pissed myself the first time out." He stopped and turned toward her. "You've worked hard. You can do this. I have faith in you."

Alex smiled. "Can't wait," she lied through her teeth.

"Michael," Percy called from the doorway to his office.

Michael nodded and patted her shoulder before trotting up to Percy. The older man turned on his heel and moved into the office. He slid some photos onto the desk. "Did you know about this?" He asked, his mild voice belying the danger.

The younger agent picked up a photograph. "Daniel. Nikita's cover. As her handler, I am aware of him."

Percy frowned as he leaned against his desk. "Were you aware that he has asked her to marry him?" He slid photos around as if arranging a scrap book. "It is apparently quite the topic of conversation at his favorite diner."

Michael's eyes shot up. "She hadn't mentioned, but as he is just a cover, she may not have found it important enough to bring up."

The older man considered for several long moments. "That or she worries that we may see it as a splitting of loyalties. That in and of itself could be considered as such."

"Nikita is solid. She is Division." Michael put down the photograph he had been working on. "She is the best because she is completely ours."

Percy nodded. "She is an excellent asset. We will simply have to simplify the subject of loyalty."

Michael's brow beetled. "I don't understand."

He shook his head. "Nothing. Thinking out loud. Is Alex ready?" Percy paced over to the full length window overlooking the training facility. Alex had walked off the track and was now attempting to pummel a dummy into submission on the far side.

The handler smiled and nodded. "I was just letting her know that I feel she's ready for more."

Percy nodded. He had a feeling this one had the fire in her. She certainly fought with fury and control in equal measures. "Excellent. We will have her implanted and ready within a day then."

Michael hesitated. "Are you sure that kill chips are necessary?"

Percy turned around, an expression of surprise etched on his face. "Michael, the key in this business is not only to be holding good cards, but all cards. The kill chip is merely a missing piece of our deck. How can we be effective if we have to worry about our assets going off reservation." He turned back to the window. "Really Michael, you have to keep these things in mind."

 

* * *

 

Nikita walked past Alex dressed in a little black dress. "You telegraph your right fist," she noted.

Alexandra turned with a smile. "You get dressed up for me?" She chuckled as she pulled the tape on her fist. She knew Nikita was seeing someone but something buried deep tickled a little when she got the usually all business woman to smile.

The older woman chuckled. "You don't give up. I am going out. You are staying here. Sucks to be the new kid. I'll have a drink for you while I'm on my date."

"Do I even get to know my competition's name?" Alex's brow raised.

"Who said you're any competition?" Nikita laughed and slapped Alex's shoulder. "Daniel and no, you are not getting any details. Have a good night."

Alex sighed theatrically. "You get a night out with Daniel and I get my hand for company tonight." She shrugged. "Great, sex with anyone I want and I don't have to make breakfast. It WILL be a good night." She laughed and grabbed a towel.

Nikita shook her head and laughed as she left. Percy frowned from his office above and opened his phone. "I have a job for you."


	4. Chapter 4

Amanda came to the doorway of Alex's small room and tapped lightly on the door frame. Alex turned and stood. "Amanda, always a pleasure."

The other woman's lips curled elegantly. "Alexandra, I do believe your manners are improving. You've become quite adept with the pleasantly delivered untruth."

"Thank you," Alex responded with a smile. Strangely enough it was Amanda's honeyed venom that more often got her respect these days. She would likely have to slit this woman's throat, but she would respect her as she became another statistic in her war over her father's death.

Amanda stepped into the room and picked up the book that Alex had been reading as she came in. "It's been what... five years?" She carefully replaced the tome on archaic weapons.

"Five years?"

Amanda turned to watch her face. "You are a native speaker of... probably Russian. Certainly a speaker of some Cyrillic tongue. It would take about five years to get your American English to this point. Your accent is wonderful. Your dipthongs are quite good." She saw Alex's face freeze and she raised a hand. "Former sex slave, expired student visa, it really doesn't matter to me. You have chosen to reinvent yourself. That is what the butterfly tattoo is, isn't it? A symbol of transformation? It little matters where you came from Alexandra. It is where you are going. You, my dear are going on to become a wonderful asset. A passibly American, native Russian speaker?" She smiled and stepped over to slide her arm through Alex's. "Alexandra, you are a treasure. Let's go look at some beautiful dresses together." Amanda guided her toward her workspace with a brilliant smile.

Alex ran her fingers over first one dress then another. Amanda ran fingers over her shoulder. "Any of these would look lovely on you Alexandra, but I believe you would not be amiss to begin with the one on the end. You have a small mission to begin with, we want you to look your best."

"A mission?"

Amanda smiled and drew the dress out holding it before the younger woman. Her ice chip eyes sparked at the lovely image. "You will simply be getting close to someone of interest. That's the extent at this point."

Alex went to the dressing room and began to change. She drew her fingers over the fabric remembering a far different dress...

_Fedya sipped at a tumbler full of vodka as he scowled out the window. "I love my country, Alexandra. I do not love my country's fondness for smokestacks on either side of what should be a calming ride into the city." He looked past the expensive appointments that made the bus more of a travelling apartment toward the open door to the driver's compartment. "How long Viktor?" he barked._

_Alex smiled. Fedya was a horrible passenger. "You still haven't told me who it is we're meeting." She sat back and twirled the pen that had been given to her by Fedya's daughter before she died. She would be laughing at Fedya's scowl, if she were still with them._

_Fedya snarled as he caught Viktor's hand sign. "You are the only one who could get away with that Viktor," he shouted. Swivelling his chair toward the young woman his scarred face creased into a smile. "You are going to meet your next teacher."_

_Alex's curiousity soared as she watched Fedya guide a tall man in a pinstriped suit on board. "Peter, meet Alexandra. Alexandra, Peter. You want a sherry or whatever fruity drink you quasi Italian types favor?"_

_Peter barked a laugh as he gripped Alex's hand. "A pleasure." He barked "Beer," at Fedya in his highly accented Russian before sitting close to her. "I take debts..." he hesitated, trying to remember the Russian word "seriously. I owe Fedya, he says help you. I say with what. He tells me you want to ... " his face creased in thought, "get close to an American group. I can do this. How is your English?"_

_Alex swallowed. "I am still learning," she replied, her accent showing itself like a dragon._

_Peter shrugged. Switching to English he thanked Fedya and turned back to the young woman. "Fedya and I have worked together in the past. There are some businesses we have little to do with. Even we bad guys can have scruples. I will take you to America where we will begin intensive training in how to be American. There is very little chance you will get close enough if you stand out too much." He frowned. "There is one part of Fedya's plan that I have difficulty with."_

_"And that is?"_

_"He says this organization you wish to fuck with is very well connected. That it could push past most bullshit back stories. He thinks that the best way to throw them off the scent is to provide a back story that no one would bother to push past. He said when I am done training you, I am to ship you back so he can renew acquaintances with one of those low rent slave trade types and have you shipped to America in a cargo container."_

_Alexandra smiled at the Italian American mobster. "It was my plan."_

_Peter turned and looked at Fedya who nodded. He turned back. "You realize the dangers?"_

_"I can take care of myself." She stood and moved to the bar to get another juice. "I need to be a nonperson. If I do hit their radar, and they push past the first layers of my identity, I need to be nobody from nowhere. What better way than to let them assume I was a sex slave?"_

_Peter nodded. "Let's begin by finding you a dress Alexandra. There is no faster way to integrate yourself into the beating heart of American culture than with a pretty dress in a dance club. Our plane will leave for New York in six hours." He slid a passport onto a small table near her chair. "Welcome to America... Alexandra Bragin."_

* * *

 

 **Amanda** walked with her after she tried on the dress. Alex's blue eyes followed an upset looking Nikita for a moment before she stepped into the room with Michael. She sat as he laid a file on the table. She leafed through it. "So I just need to be next to this guy?" she asked.

He nodded. "Simple as that. Birkhoff will get you close. It is on you to stay close until you are told otherwise."

Her brow knit briefly. "Why?"

Michael shook his head. "Not cleared for that question Alex. Just get in with him and hang on."

She flipped him a snarky looking salute. "On my way to see the Wizard then. Birkhoff would be geeking in his usual Captain Kirk chair?"

He nodded scowling. She flashed a smile and walked off.

 

* * *

**Alex**  pulled up short as Nikita stalked from the cross hall. Alex brushed her bare arm with her fingers. "Nikita?" she asked quietly.

Nikita turned. Her face was an impassive mask but Alex's long road to revenge had taught her a thing or three about reading eyes. Nikita's eyes were all about pain, but this was pain she was trying not to show. Alex squeezed her forearm gently.

"Don't let the bastards see you sweat and don't ever let them get you down," she said quietly before pulling back. Nikita stared at her long moments before nodding and going on her way.

 

* * *

 

Alex soon stood beside Birkhoff looking at the dating website. She was deeply doubtful of these things before, but seeing as the Super-geek manipulated her into a spot next to the Ultimate Code Warrior made her think the program was all about someone's jollies, and not the daters.

 

* * *

**She**  moved into the dance club, sliding between dancers like a zephyr. She made her way to the VIP area and smiled at her date. Dragging him onto the dance floor she soon realized that he was hopelessness itself as the music pounded. Desperate to get the connection Division wanted she slid her arms around him and began slow dancing. The change in the contour of the front of his tailored pants told her that she was making an impression.

She looked at him startled as he pulled back. "I really want to kiss you," was barely heard over the bass. She smiled and moved forward slightly as she suddenly remembered Birkhoff's caution. He told her a true geek would be suspicious of a woman who just falls into a relationship with them.

Alex stepped back slightly. "I need to use the restroom." She smiled and squeezed his hand before moving toward the restroom.

Alexandra stood near the large bathroom mirror adjusting her hair as a black haired woman stumbled in. Her eyes widened a moment before she tightened her expression. Alex caught the woman before she fell. "Are you alright?"

"High."

"Hi."

"No," the woman responded with a heavy Russian accent. "I am high." She giggled and looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm Irina." She looked at her companion in the mirror. "Do I know you?" Her arctic eyes narrowed.

Alex shook her head and strode out, her heart aching. She went back to her date and preceded to go through the motions of being everything he could want in a woman even as her heart and mind were elsewhere...

_The light barely came in from the top of the shipping container. Air was not much better. Twelve women huddled in the dim container, struggling with fear, seasickness and claustrophobia. They whispered in Russian back and forth though being one of what might be hundreds of other identical containers in the middle of an enormous ship meant that the odds of anyone hearing them were almost precisely zero._

_Irina slid her knees over the slight splinters in the plywood floor to touch a brunette who huddled, eyes closed in the corner. She curled arms around her. "We will be ok," Irina said quietly, trying to bolster her own courage as much as the other woman's._

_Alex stiffened before wrapping arms around this stranger trying to comfort her. "Yes, we will," she whispered. For a few brief moments she allowed herself to dream that these were the arms of her first love... _Helina_._

_She closed her eyes against the memories of the foul monsters Fedya entrusted her to. Fedya cried the night before as he drank his way through a bottle. He had argued for days against going through with this. As much as he had respected Nikolai, as much as he wanted her to get her revenge, the thought of sending or losing a young woman he loved as he had his own daughter to the drug and sex hell of the trades killed him, cover or not._

_He had her bound in the back of his van and in the darkness she was handed over to Vlad the sex trader, told that she would be going to a special order customer in America. They manhandled her and threw her in a container. A man came and told them to stay quiet, stay obedient and they would have new lives in America. He told them they just had to pay off their debts. He never told them that their debts would never end._

_Alex pulled back slightly. "I'm Sasha," she whispered._

_The black haired girl smiled tremulously. "Irina."_

_Alex laid her head on her companion's shoulder. Ocean travel would be slow. Better to paint a picture of weakness from the start. When this trip was over she would use the misconception to free herself. She felt the small hand circle on her back. She would free this woman too, she decided. Irina hummed an old lullaby as fumes of diesel wafted through._

* * *

**Alexandra**  entered the packed nightclub again. The date was over, and she hoped to find the girl from the restroom. This time she would find out what had gone so utterly wrong. Why had her plan failed? She found Irina, barely holding herself up, by the bar. Her fingers tightened on the black haired woman's wrist. Irina turned unsteadily and looked blearily at her face. She smiled. "Sasha," she greeted. "I knew it was you."

"I got you out, what the hell are you doing here?" Alex asked.

Irina wrapped her arms around Alex's waist and nibbled her jaw. "Sasha," she purred.

Alex smiled and getting serious she pushed Irina slightly back. "We need to get you out of here." There would be time for questions later.

The other Russian nodded. "Yes. Meet me out back in 15." She caressed Alex's cheek. "So good to see you again Sasha." She wobbled away.

 

* * *

**Alex**  stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets and walked out into the cold New York winter. She didn't know why Irina was still addicted and in the sex business, but she was determined to get her clean and off the streets. She smiled before she walked toward the onyx haired girl in the ally. Irina's eyes widened and she swallowed hard, as Vlad stepped into the ally way with his men behind Sasha. What had she done? The sound of the gun cocking sent Alex spinning toward Vlad. She had walked right into a trap she never saw coming. She found herself hours later in a dog cage in trade master Vlad's office warehouse. She snarled. How did she get herself into this?

 

* * *

**Michael**  cursed a blue streak. "What?" Nikita asked.

"One of the agents has gone missing."

"Making a run for it?" she asked. She was feeling a desire to run as well since her fiance died a day and change ago, and at the request of Percy. The man who was almost like a father to her. 'Was' and 'almost' being the key in her mind now.

Michael shook his head. "I don't think so. Alex isn't like that," he said half to himself. He stared at the surveillance footage of the club like it would tell him something new.

"Wait, Alex?" Nikita frowned and her mind tumbled over the young woman who just butted on into her world.

His eyes shot up. "Do not tell Percy. He is just dying to pull the trigger on some unsuspecting recruit."

"Not going to happen." Her eyes tracked right. "What are you staring at nerd? Find her."

Birkhoff swivelled back to the monitors and squeezed the data until he could point them toward the Russian. He swivelled back. "So we're thinking Russian stable master, but I can't find anything more."

"I have a Russian underworld connection locally. Let's see if he knows of an operator who might fit the bill."

Nikita chewed her lip. "I'm going with you."

"We both don't need to catch hell if-"

"I am going with you," she reiterated firmly.

He nodded. "Out front in ten. I need to get that ugly fucking tie he sent me."

She watched him leave. "Nerd? Need you to get me something a bit... specialized from stores and I would prefer not to have it noticed."

Birkhoff's eyes widened as he swiveled back and prepared to do the sexy lethal woman's bidding.

 

* * *

**Michael**  and Nikita strode into the bath house. After hooking up with the head of security his lips curled slightly. Nikita rolled her eyes at his cocky walk. They walked into a room filled with old Russian men who should have been wearing something a hell of a lot less revealing than white towels.

"Mischa," came from a rounded man in the middle of the pack.

"Long time no see." He smiled as Nikita walked to a towel cart nearby. "I was just wondering if you could help me out with finding a friend of mine. She seems to have run afoul of a Russian stable master near the Bonhomie Nightclub."

The Russian mobster shook his head. "Mischa, Mischa, Mischa. You are my friend. I would like to help my friend but this is about business."

Nikita cleared her throat and moved the towel cart nearer as she turned it. "700 steel ball bearings says that this could fall under business too."

The smiles faded all around the room. "What is that?" the apoplectic mobster shouted.

"Claymore," Nikita responded brightly. "And its pointed at you." She frowned. "Damn these sweat rooms. Makes the trigger hand all slippery."

Michael ground his teeth as the Russians whispered. "Claymore?" he asked tightly.

"Do you know what happens to women the sex traders snatch?" she snapped at him.

"Vlad is not worth this. He has a basement in storage building on fourteenth." The mobster growled and waved at them. "Go and take your claymore."

Three security goons came in and saw Nikita's bomb. They rushed her. One received a boot to the jaw sending him toward Michael who laid him out with a trio of fast punches. Nikita kicked high at another's hand before wrapping the claymore trigger wire around the third's neck. The second brought his gun down and fired before realizing his fellow guard was being used as a shield. Nikita pulled the trigger cord hard to the right throwing the guard to the side and quickly eliminated the last. She turned and smiled at the half naked men. "Taking my toy with me." she announced before Michael grabbed her free arm and dragged her out.

"You burned my contact."

"Honestly? After Percy killed Daniel, you should be pleased that my reactions are so civil." She smiled and jumped into the car to busy herself disarming the claymore as Michael drove.

 

* * *

**Vlad**  smiled as he turned on the camera after tossing the empty needle he injected her with. "You are worth a lot of money." He looked to Irina who looked ill in the corner. "Did you know we're in the presence of royalty?" Irina shook her head as she watched an angry Alex.

Alexandra's head nodded as she tried desperately to snap out of the drug's effect. She shook her head. "You've lost your mind Vlad," she snapped, her fingers gripping at the cage door.

"You are Alexandra Udinov, daughter of the oligarch Nikolai Udinov, one of the new tsars." He turned and smiled triumphantly.

"Completely nuts!" Tears pooled in her blue eyes.

He adjusted the camera. "Now you will admit to your identity on this camera so that I can collect the rather large bounty on your head."

Alexandra flailed her arm at Irina. "Make Irina say it. You might as well sic them on her."

"She is not the Zetrov heir." He held up a golden watch. "You really shouldn't have given your father's watch to her to pay for a new life. She is a junkie and would sell her own mother for a speed-ball. Now, Alexandra, tell me what I want to hear. I will give you another shot, and we will leave to collect my reward...ready? Action."

Alex looked over at the other woman who closed her eyes and turned away with guilt and remorse. Vlad picked up his phone as it rang. "What?" he shouted as gunfire suddenly erupted from the hall. He grabbed his weapon accidentally knocking over his camera. Not stopping to right it he ran out.

Alexandra looked over. "Irina," she called quietly. "Open the cage."

"I want to... but Vlad... I just wanted you back."

"Irina, the people out there will kill you if they find me inside this cage and you standing over me. I am the only one who wants to save your life... let me out... now."

Irina looked around fearfully. She unlocked the cage. "I'm so sorry Sasha," she said just as the door exploded inwards. Vlad pushed Irina into the wall with a crash. He snarled and Alex hit him with a nearby chair. She grabbed his gun and stood over him. "For the record... I am Alexandra Udinov, daughter of Nikolai Udinov... and this is your reward."

She shot him three times before dropping the gun, as her adrenaline withdrew leaving her with nothing but the lassitude caused by the injection he gave her earlier. She started crumpling as Michael came rushing in and got his arms around her. "I got you Alex."

Her eyes tracked back to the fallen tripod the camera was no longer there.  _Where did it go?_ Alex thought. Nikita stood nearby, looking down at Vlad. She looked up at the exhausted Russian woman. "Let's get you home."


	5. Chapter 5

 

Alex drew close to the older woman as she pulled up a society column on a computer. The computer training lab was silent this time of night. "Homework for a mission?" Alex asked quietly, not wanting to startle the other woman.

Nikita looked up before looking back. "Always pays to be aware of power players. Remember that. "

"I will." Alex shoved her hands into her back pockets. "Want to thank you. You know, for the thing with Vlad." This was just a hint uncomfortable. Debts were everything. That's the way Alexandra grew up. She owed Division blood and now she owed this woman her life.

The older woman swiveled her chair to look at her assessingly. "How you ended up... Is there something you want to talk about?"

Alex shook her head. "Just shit from my old life. " She kept her eyes on her hands at this point. She was just a passenger in that cargo container. She needed them to think it was a painful memory instead of merely a memory of discomfort and brief comfort in the arms of Irina who looked so much like her first love. Alexandra shook her head again and composed her face.

Nikita nodded. She could only imagine what it would have been like for Alex to be one of the desperate girls that filled Vlad's stable. "If it ever comes up again, you know where I am."

The young Russian sought to lighten things. "Does this mean we're becoming friends?"

The older woman shook her head with a smile. "It means that we have something in common. We've both suffered at the hands of people with big plans and no problem shitting on people like us."

Alex barked a laugh and pulled a chair over from a nearby computer. She sat less than an arms length from the other woman. "Now this sounds like a promising tale of woe."

Nikita sighed. "Not today." She brushed her hair behind her ear with a feigned casualness. Everything else in her frame bespoke of sadness and tension.

"Well, it wasn't pretty but I busted my mission cherry. They'll give me a longer leash soon I bet. Why don't I stand you and my competition to a drink and once we drink him under the table you can spill all your secrets." Her brow creased as Nikita's face briefly twisted in pain. She placed her fingers on Nikita's wrist. "Tell me."

"Daniel was murdered." Nikita removed her arm and turned back to the computer screen.

"Who?"

The older woman shook her head slowly."Police don't know."

"But you do." Alex's face grew grimmer. She knew and she just heard about it. Division had a lot to pay for.

Nikita remained silent for several long moments. "I am trying to read here Alex."

Alexandra stood. She stared at the back of Nikita's head before leaning toward her ear. "You saved my life. Even if it weren't for that, I have your back," she whispered as she briefly gripped Nikita's shoulder. She straightened and left the computer room without a look back.

Nikita closed her eyes tight. Her hands balled into fists before she forced them relaxed and began pulling up pages without really reading them.

 

* * *

 

 

 **Alex**  pulled out her shower gear. Some days she just really, really needed to feel ultra clean. Knowing that Nikita's boyfriend was murdered by Division, it just made her feel dirty. She scrubbed away the knowledge that her path of revenge was much much too long to do him any good. At the end of this road, she would see that no two stones were left together and blood of the monsters of Division would saturate the ground.

Percy was in her room as she came back from her shower. He was flipping through her books. He pulled out a rough sketch of the old Chateau d'If being used as a bookmark before putting it back. Alex put her shower caddy on the bed.

"Did we send you out too soon?" He asked in a civil tone.

"No sir. I am ready. I have another date with my target tonight."

Percy turned and walked up to her. "He has a cell phone. There is a program loaded into its memory." He flipped out a memory card. "Get it off or take the phone. I would prefer you not take the phone. If he suspects, kill him." He smiled. "Can you handle that?"

"Consider it done." Alex frowned as he left. She would not be killing an innocent as long as she could avoid it. She would just have to be very, very good. Course she hadn't gotten this far by being anything less. She had killed in the past. Alex had no qualms about doing what was needed but she had no desire to become the very monsters she hunted either.

She pulled out the sketch and sat back on the bed with it. It was her very rough copy from memory of another sketch. It seemed like a million years ago...

" _You going to sit on the dock scratching that pad all day or are you going to join the tour Helina?" Alex bounced lightly from one foot to another as she looked up at the tourists beginning their stroll up the footpath to the Chateau d'If, the prison featured in her favorite tale of revenge._

_Helina, the black haired daughter of Fedya smiled as she closed her pad. She stood and slipped an arm through Alex's. "How am I to remember this pilgrimage to the temple of revenge without a sketch?" she asked mischievously._

" _It is not just a temple to revenge." Alex drew them along playfully kicking at an occasional stone. "It is also a site of pilgrimage for worshipers of The French Connection." She gestured at the figure of a rotund man who never made it out of the Seventies. "Obviously."_

_Helina stifled her laugh in the other woman's shoulder. Alexandra covered her own laugh to avoid people staring back at them. Helina slid her fingers down to drag Alex faster to the Chateau. They stood at the gun ports after the long trail through cells and barracks in the stony keep, looking out over Marseilles as rest of the tour group moved toward the other side of the fort. Helina turned. Her fingers brushed Alex's cheek. "Father says you'll leave for Japan soon."_

_Alex nodded slowly seeing the sadness in her love's blue eyes. "Fedya will send you to see me. He thinks we are good influences on one another. We can play in the cherry blossoms or something."_

_The black haired young woman leaned in and kissed Alex eliciting a smile that was far too rare for her liking. "Of course." She smiled. "Give me a minute to sketch this view. I'll catch up." Helina watched Alex stride to the corner and around, no doubt on some mission to get refreshments. Alex tried so hard to make her smile when she sensed the sadness creep in. Helina pulled out a small brown bottle and slipped a couple of pills into her mouth before picking her pad out of her bag. She sighed. This was the world she wanted to live in with Alexandra, the sun and the harbor, and life, so much life. She wished Alex was not bound by the Chateau behind her. The pills would help. For one more night she could pretend that Alex was beside her and not standing in her father's grave. Helina quickly sketched in the shoreline and went in search of her girlfriend._

Alex smiled sadly. That was the last day Helina appeared whole. As time went on, more and more of the young woman dropped away before she became a hollow shell, and at last, was taken away by a dirty needle in an alley in Minsk. There was a Helina shaped hole in Alex and Fedya's lives. She filled hers with more drive for revenge. Alex folded the sketch and returned it to her book. Time to focus.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex activated a shell program in the computer lab after Nikita walked out. It was a risk to use it but she needed information. Someone had the footage of her declaring her identity. If it had been the Nikita from a week ago, she knew Division would have it already and her life would be terminated before the week was out. Nikita today? Daniel's death made it one variable too many. One other person had the opportunity and proximity to the fallen camera after Vlad's demise.

 _F. Local junkie Irina. Need found. May blow everything_. she typed.

Fedya's response came seconds or hours later depending on whether timed by clock or nerves.  _Hold or?_

 _Hold. Chk for memory card. Be safe. Out._  She shut off the computer. Alexandra worked so hard to get to where she was with her mission. What the hell possessed her to blurt out her identity?

 

* * *

**Alex**  brushed her fingers lightly over the silk dress just as Amanda came around the corner. "Very presentable Alexandra."

The younger woman smiled. "I must be in trouble. There wasn't any venom."

Amanda chuckled as she pulled a necklace from the table top nearby and slowly brought it around Alex's neck. "You work for the wrong organization if you wanted your little adventure last night to be unnoticed." Her fingers drew lightly over the sensitive skin of Alexandra's throat as she drew the necklace into position and latched it. Nails slid like a soft breeze down the exposed skin of her back. Alex met Amanda's eyes in the mirror. "You know where I am if you need help. The chemicals, the imprisonment, that smelly little man Roan cleaned up."

Alex turned and met Amanda's eyes inches away. "Thank you," she said with a small smile. "I am just fine." She leaned up and gently kissed Amanda's cheek and turned back before grabbing a small beaded handbag. "I don't want to be late for my date."

"That would be a shame." Amanda smiled and stepped back.

Alex frowned as she slid into the elevator. Amanda touchy feely. That was worrisome..okay that was arousing. She thought before mentally kicking herself. Alex took a deep breath. _Focus._  She needed to focus. Alex had to lift a phone with none the wiser tonight. Twice. She opened the bag as she slid into the taxi cab. The second memory card she pocketed from Tech storage was nestled beside the first.

No better way to sink the ship than to know as much as they did and then tear down the right curtains. Given the paranoia level, she would bet cash money when the shit hit the fan the bosses would be taking bullets too.

 

* * *

**The**  restaurant was exclusive and lit just enough so everyone could see all the Faces with a capital F. Alex smiled. _Perfect._  She slid a hand into her handsome yet geeky date's elbow. As he made for one of the chairs, she turned swiftly into him as if to go for the same seat. "Sorry," she whispered as her fingers dropped the phone into the pocket cleverly sewn along the seam of the dress. She sat and smiled. "What's good here?"

She asked a question about what he did specifically to get him talking at length about himself as her fingers dropped into the pocket and felt for the memory card interface. Alex leaned in. "What is your favorite science fiction show?" she asked as he began to get too specific and therefore likely to touch his phone like a touchstone. She smiled happily as he went into the relative benefits of several classic series. Being around Birkhoff had paid off. She now could successfully distract any geek with appropriate questions.

They were well into the meal when she began to stand. "I'm sorry, I have to visit the ladies room."

He stood like every ancient movie leading man he'd ever seen and she tucked against him briefly for a kiss on the cheek and a phone drop as she left the table. She smiled as she touched up her lipstick. The mission was a complete success. Percy and Amanda would be proud. Her smile dimmed as she saw Nikita come out of one of the stalls. Alex turned.

"Nikita?" she whispered.

"Don't mind me, I'm not on company time." She moved beside Alex and checked her own lipstick. "You look beautiful tonight, Alex." Her eyes tracked down to Alexandra's small handbag. She looked up at the other woman. Nikita moved in closer; her fingertips on Alex's jaw. "Be one of the good guys Alex."

"What do you mean?" she whispered.

Nikita's eyes slid shut. "Just... It's easy to let someone else tell you what's right." She put her fingers on Alex's chest over her heart. "Listen to this. It knows what's right." Nikita's head dropped for a long moment. Alex's fingers smoothed her hair back to see her face. She opened her eyes and smiled at the younger woman. "Don't mind me. It's been a very long week. See you later Alex."

"See you Nikita." Alex replied quietly as the other woman slipped out of the bathroom.

 

* * *

**Amanda**  was waiting with Percy as Alex returned to Division. She frowned at all the top heaviness in the room. She pulled out a memory card and held it up. "And I didn't even have to stain a rug."

"Good girl," Amanda said as she passed the card to Percy who spun on his heel and moved swiftly to his office. She turned back to the younger woman as she lost sight of Percy. Drawing her fingers down Alex's cheek she smiled. "You are a work of art Alexandra."

"You would know, you created this me."

Amanda took a breath and nodded. "Perhaps that's it."

"What's what?"

"Frankenstein syndrome. A twisted lust for my own creation." Amanda pulled Alex into a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

"Frankenstein syndrome. A twisted lust for my own creation."

Amanda pulled Alex into a kiss. Alex was stiff at first then melted into the other woman. Amanda pulled herself upright and twisted her fingers almost painfully into Alex's hair. "Bathe, then my room. Don't dawdle."

 

* * *

**Nikita**  looked down at her hands on the bar. What had she been thinking about tonight? Why follow the other woman? Why would she say the things she said to Alexandra in the bathroom?

She knew why. She took up the glass the bartender slid in front of her. The juices from the maraschino cherry swirled in the bottom of the glass like blood through the glittering bubbles. She craved something stronger than a 7up but if she was even thinking about what she was thinking about, she needed her head on straight. Nikita turned and spotted a paper at an abandoned table.

She quickly found the properties section and started looking. Did she dare cross Percy? She was angry and part of her wanted to end her own life. Daniel was dead, and she figured that was all a result of her own weakness. She defied Amanda and Percy and fell in love with the man. Her love got him killed at the hands of one of Percy's pet cleaners. That was one thing Nikita was certain of - that, and she wanted revenge for Daniel and for herself. Daniel's love and death sparked something inside of her that she hadn't felt since Carla's half way house.

Going rogue, she thought, would be the only way to get clean again. She felt dirty for all of the lives she extinguished for Division. This would be more than revenge if she chose the path considered. This would be a way to achieve the balance she had long since lost, and set the wrong things right... A chance at redemption. She needed a place to start. She needed a safe house

Nikita would think of it as a mission. It was a mission to save lives and save her own soul. Getting revenge on Division? Well that was just the icing on the cake. She picked up the paper and left heading immediately to a nearby shop that carried everything, including burner phones.

 

* * *

**Alex**  knocked on the door. "Come in." she heard.

She stopped as she opened the door and then came in further to close the door. She smiled as she saw Amanda standing there in a black leather dress. Amanda stepped closer moving with an even greater degree of self posession and awareness of her own power and drew a crop along Alex's jaw. "Adequate. Remove your clothing."

Alex chuckled. "No wine and dine?"

Amanda stepped closer. "No games. You surrender, I control. I will find satisfaction and if you are a very good girl, I will allow you to experience a sexual resolution that I believe you have desired for far too long." Her breath caressed Alex's throat, dangerous and arousing at once.

Alex swallowed dryly. This was easily one of the most dangerous women she knew but... This could get her closer to the information she needed, she tried to justify. She nodded slowly.

"Take off your clothes and kneel." Amanda's nails scraped lightly over her throat and down the center of her chest before she seated herself to watch. She crossed her legs as she watched the normally self-assured Alex fumble slightly with removing her casual clothing. She smiled as the younger woman pulled a shirt up and over her head, highlighting the lean and lovely stomach and chest. Alex soon lowered herself to her knees.

Amanda's brow rose as Alex looked at her in expectation.

"I think you have spent your entire life grasping for control, for strength. You will release your control to me Alex." She toed an ottoman to beside the young woman. She lowered herself and unwrapped a small bundle. She pulled out a collar. "Put on the collar Alex, and release yourself to me." Alex gritted as she stared at the older woman impassively.

Alex slid the thin but strong leather of the collar through her fingers. She didn't trust this woman any further than she could throw her but she wanted this. Amanda was power. Alexandra hoped she could use that power to get where she was going. All she had to do was trust the most untrustworthy individual on the planet. She sucked in a breath and drew the black leather collar around her throat, buckling it in a close but not strangling tight notch. She looked over at Amanda.

Amanda's lips curled. "Perfect." Her fingers curled around Alex's chin and drew her in for a long deep kiss. "Well done." She drew Alex's hands to rest on her knees so that they were easily accessible as Amanda manipulated the heavy buckles of the wrist restraints. Alex kept herself still as Amanda finished and stood. She moved to the chest of drawers nearby and removed a few things.

She drew a pair of nipple clamps with a chain through her fingers and smiled. "I do love your nipples. I think we should take a moment to bring them to their fullest potential." Amanda lowered herself into her chair again and pinched one of Alex's nipples. Amanda smiled even more as the younger woman sucked in a breath at the pinch and a loud exhale at the swift clamping of her nipple.

Alexandra's were wide as Amanda playfully tugged on the chain. She looked down to see her other nipple receive the same. She bit her lip at the second tug. A more forceful pull drew her to the side. "I would suggest you follow Alex, if you wish to keep them." Amanda purred.

Alex soon found herself chest down over the ottoman, her nipples feeling pinched and sensitive. Amanda stood over her. "I see myself as an artist Alexandra. My psychological profiles, the missions I help with, they are... sketches. When I find a subject worthy of my master work, it is... sublime. I intend to prepare you like a canvas. I stretch you," she said as her nails drew down Alex's back, the instinctive arching, brushing nipples over fabric drawing a small whimper as Alex began to discover the edges of pleasure and pain. "Once you're in position, I prepare you. As a painter will use gesso to prepare his canvas, I will use hand or paddle to give you a good base. When the heat and color please me, I will switch to a crop to create my art and when the fire in you rises, I will lay you on your back and make you scream from pain... and from pleasure." Amanda's hand massaged Alex's ass cheek, nails scraping. "You will be my Mona Lisa."

Alexandra closed her eyes. She was doing it all for revenge she told herself, even as her body betrayed her. She never just gave up control before and just felt. Over the next several hours she discovered pain, pleasure and craving as she never knew existed before.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  walked into the large space. Industrial lofts were trendy these days, but usually only in the right neighborhoods and with some work. This, while fairly centrally located was most assuredly not one of the right neighborhoods. Only a pair of angry guard dogs and being set fairly well back from the fence kept this place from becoming a crack den or just plain getting every window broken out. She tucked her hair behind her ear. Paint the windows. Clean up the dust and metal shavings on the floor. Get a few appliances in here and replace that scary ass toilet in the other room. The list was already going through her head. This place was perfect, low key, multi-purpose, easily escapable if the shit came down. She chuckled. Cheap. Bonus, it didn't have time to make it on the market. She snagged the information off an agent's desk just after a bored secretary tossed it on. It would take work, but it would be safe.

A frowning man came in behind her. He wiped his gnarled hands on his jeans before running one set of fingers through the little bit of grey hair that stood bravely on the top of his head. "Sorry," he ground out. "The dogs are a little difficult. My son got them from some guy who said he trained guard dogs."

"Said?" she asked turning.

He harrumphed. "One of 'em coughed blood. Vet said he'd been getting gunpowder in his food. Tore up his stomach. That's old school dog fighting."

Nikita's jaw tightened. The dogs were just like Division recruits. They deserved better than to be run hot and fast and done to death before they knew what happiness was. "The asking price..." she started as she walked closer to the man. His cologne, though stinging, didn't quite cover the aromas of auto repair.

The grizzled man grimaced. "I know the place, it ain't shit. This building, its all I have left of my son. I gotta sell for enough to take care of his kid."

"The asking price is too low. Add another two thousand on price... and throw in the dogs." Her face grew grim. "I need the vet info, if you know someone who can feed them when I am away, I will pay well and I'll give you an extra thousand if you tell me where to find the trainer."

His creased face rearranged itself into a smile. "Knew I liked you kid. Let's talk money."

She sat in an old office chair and stared out into the little bit of sky she could see through the filthy glass. Mr. Rogers was almost dancing by the time he left, the cash she had given him in an envelope was duly tucked into his deep front pocket. It felt good to make him that happy. It felt even better when he pulled out a picture and showed her the little boy she helped, was still helping by paying for Hiram to swing by and check on the boys every day.

Standing up, she pulled a light jacket around her. A greasy old ballcap, also purchased from the old gentleman was pulled down so the brim would obscure her face with just a little dip of her chin. She had to go out and get some tools and paint, hit the local stores for some furnishings, oh, and get a pair of steaks for her new best friends, as well as one of those auto feeders in case she couldn't get away and Hiram Rogers was running late. Lifting her wrist, she looked at her watch. A few hours before she had to put her game face on. It would have to be enough.

 

* * *

**Alex**  sat gingerly on the bench with her tray. Part of her wanted to hiss at the lingering pain. Part of her smiled at the reminder. Something in her freed up for a few moments. The red hot, ice hot flicks of pain across her reddened ass and from her tortured nipples hovered on the border, first pain, then pleasure. Back and forth until she was a moaning, whimpering mound of pure need and then Amanda filled her.

She blinked startled as her daydream resolved to a reality that involved Nikita sitting across from her. "Hi," she greeted.

Nikita nodded. "Hey. Heard you did well on the assignment."

Alex shrugged. "Got the goods and didn't have to call a cleaner so it went well enough."

The older woman watched Michael and Percy walk through the dining area, deep in discussion. She didn't want to leave Alex here anymore than she could walk away from the dogs, Fenris and Cerebus, when she learned where they had come from. There was so much risk in this. Would she try to disentangle Alex only to find that she loved the job? Would Alex sell her out?

She had to approach this carefully and she had to control the scene. Nikita smiled. "Let me know when you get your big girl leash. I want to take you out." She stole a green bean from Alex's tray and stood. "Looking forward to it," Nikita smiled and left.

Alexandra's brow knit. There was something more here than it would appear... again. She just resigned herself to being patient on several levels. Her eyes narrowed. The video? She needed to check with Fedya. She really hoped it was Irina who took her video and ran. She was getting a squirrelly gut thinking of what Nikita could do with it. Dinner tasted like ashes. Alex choked it down. She needed to play her role to the hilt.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Amanda was sitting in her chair when she returned to her room. Her red dress slid silkily as her legs crossed. Alex moved from her station in the doorway to walk across the room and sat on the bed almost knee to knee with the other woman. "Hello Amanda."

Amanda smiled. "Hello Alexandra." She re-crossed her legs and placing her hand at the edge of the chair she leaned forward. "And how do you feel today?"

The younger woman chuckled. Her body ached and she could barely walk straight but... "Strangely liberated."

Nodding Amanda studied the other woman's expression. "You are to be more liberated. Percy has given you the nod. You can have some freedom to leave on your own tonight."

Alex leaned back and watched the other woman. "I can go out?"

"You can do a great many things. All in moderation of course. No flying to Tokyo for sushi unless there is a mission involved."

Alex smirked. "Damn and I was craving some raw fish."

Amanda's brow rose. "If that is your pleasure, I am certain we can find something a bit closer to home. I know a good place an hour's drive." Fingers lightly trailed down Alex's throat. Her face grew serious. "I am not just here to let you know about your extended leash as I have heard your fellow recruits call it."

"Oh?"

"Percy wants me to make certain you understand that this is not an honor code thing Alexandra."

"Then what kind of thing is it?"

Amanda took a breath. "It is an explosive packet where it will do the most harm kind of thing Alexandra. The tracker that medical placed inside of you today to be precise... You are to enjoy your new leash, but never forget that the other end is very tightly held." Amanda smiled. "But, we won't have any problems, will we Alexandra?"

"No, Amanda."

"That's right...because you are my good girl. You will always do what you are told."

Alexandra stared at the floor. The realization of what the implant in her neck could do sinking in.

"I imagine you'll want to visit a drinking establishment with your new found liberation. Be back in the morning. You have an assignment. Something you can really sink your teeth into...and if you do a good job it will move you from recruit to agent."

Alex stood and stalked out without another word. She knew that the surgery that was done on her was not about shits and giggles but these people constantly found new lows to sink to. She growled and went looking for Nikita.

 

* * *

 

She found Nikita leaning over a bench snagging her bag. She opted for light. "With an ass like that, leash or no leash I will be wanting to buy the first round."

Nikita snorted as she straightened. "You never quit."

"Would you want me to?" Alexandra asked as she strolled around the bench to draw close.

Nikita smiled sadly. "I would miss it."

Alex cleared her throat. "Where are you taking me?"

The other woman chuckled. "I know just the place." She smiled.

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  laughed hard almost losing her rum and coke and popcorn simultaneously. Nikita rescued the drink and put it on the table. "Don't you dare drop that on this carpet. I am all out of club soda." She chuckled at Alex who seemed unaware that Nikita was trying to get her drunk.

Alex tossed her a kernel of popcorn, deftly caught. "Sorry, It's been a while since I-"

She shrieked as Nikita pinched her and threw herself out from under the blanket. Her finger wagged back at the deeply satisfied looking older woman. "Since you had any alcoholic beverages...clearly."

"Hey, I can hold my own."

"Sure." Nikita snorted and dug a candy bar out of the sack of snacks they had filled at the store giggling like carefree youth as they plotted an evening away from the grey and steel hell they called Division. Nikita flipped it to her companion. "Eat something. I don't want you passing out on me, Alex... we have a stack of movies to watch." The truth was she wanted Alexandra intoxicated. She wanted to feel the recruit out and determine just how much she could trust her.

Alexandra slid back under the blanket, inches away from her companion. She had more drinks than she intended. It was time to ease up on the rum. They watched a romantic comedy, one of the stack they rented. "You loved him didn't you?" Alex asked quietly.

Nikita nodded. "Yes," She whispered.

"I'm sorry." Alex floudered for something more. "Had a girlfriend. She died. Its hard... Losing someone you love."

Nikita looked into her face. "What was her name?"

Alex smiled. "Helina." Her smile faded. "Drugs took her."

Nikita frowned. "You still kept getting high after that?"

Alexandra shook her head. She looked at Nikita. "It wasn't like that." She hesitated. She wanted to say something but … "It's hard to explain."

The older woman lean in kissing her temple. "I get it," she said quietly.

Alex tensed. Nikita's eyes met hers for a long moment. "What will you do?" Alex asked, trying to play it cool. Nikita's scent and gentle lips left her breathless.

"About?"

"Division. You know they did it." Alexandra looked up at her.

Nikita turned her head to stare at the reflection in the mirror over the dresser next to the TV. "What can I do, Alex? Run away? They would love to chase me... and you know what they would do if they found me?" she replied hollowly, unready to completely trust this woman sitting mere inches away from her.

Alex buried her face in Nikita's shoulder a moment. "At least you have the option to try. They wired me to blow." Her lip quivered as she tried to exercise control through a haze of rum and coke. She bit her lip as Nikita's fingers slid through her hair.

They both felt lost, but they felt lost together.


	9. Chapter 9

Alexandra slid into the low chair beside another recruit. She watched Percy pace back and forth talking to someone else. Her lip curled. Another one always playing power games, from his higher chair with its expensive upholstery to his pretending they didn't matter. She could really give a crap that they did this shit. They were all going to die bloody soon anyway. She slid back in her chair to wait patiently.

Percy slid into his throne. He glared at first one then another. "Are you familiar with one another?"

Alex stabbed a thumb toward Mr. California Good Looks beside her. "Jasper. Stealth and charisma, check. Hand to hand, decent. Guns, not strong suit."

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "Alex. Fast reflexes, hot temper, smart mouth." She was taken just a smidge by surprise as she thought he would be too busy surgically attaching his mouth to Percy's ass.

Percy's lips curled. That would be a yes. We have a kill target for you both. Take him off the books, you become agents with all the perks of an agent. Get caught, and well, we have not invested enough time and money in you both to make it worth our while to come get you. Fail, you won't even have enough time to try to run." He slid a photo across the desk. It was an older man standing in front of a store featuring large cyrillic letters.

Alex's brow knit as she looked at the photo and listened with half an ear to the spew coming out of Percy's mouth. He had a mom and apple pie cock and bull line for the as-yet unjaded recruit types but long and short, Fedya was in the way. One more reason to stand and watch Percy bleed out. She looked up at him. "When's the flight?" Maybe she could activate the shell program and tell him to prepare to bug out.

Percy nodded at her apparent eagerness. "Everything you need is already on board. Michael will be here to drive you to your plane in a few minutes. Good hunting." He turned his chair, most definitely dismissing them.

"Thank you sir," Jasper the brown noser responded brightly. His hero gave an annoyed get-out -of-my-office wave before picking up his phone and dialing. The two juniors sped off.

Alex growled. No time to hit the computer lab to warn Fedya. She'd just have to do this all on the fly. She yanked the file out of Bright Boy's hands. Ignoring the protests she paced to the other side of the room. Information, she needed ... "Got a plan," she announced with a smile.

"Yeah right." he growled. "Why don't you leave the thinking to me?" He did that annoying all-American jock puff up thing and flashed a smile.

She walked over to him. She grabbed the front of his pants and held on tight. Deflecting a half powered punch with the file she slammed him back to the wall. "I will leave the thinking to you when I want to die, Jasper." She twisted her hand eliciting a squeak from him.

She stepped back as she sensed someone behind them. Alex turned to see Nikita, brow raised. Her fingers left his crotch and swiped back and forth on her pant leg as he began a slow painful sounding slide down the wall. She smiled at her .. friend. Did she really have a friend? "A nice day for it," she proclaimed walking past the other woman as Jasper tried to soothe his manhood and his pride.

 

* * *

 

Hours later she was in the St. Petersburg at the open air market. She dressed as one of the rising middle class housewives and picked her way through the fruit and vegetables. Her arm was wrapped around a large cloth bag filled with produce. She ended up in front of Fedya who was carefully choosing an apple. He looked up, his eyes widening for only a moment before he produced a smile. "I'm sorry miss, but do you know anything about apples?" he asked in Russian. He flashed another smile before frowning at the apple in his hand. Fedya put it back and began searching for another with quick glances at her.

"I'm afraid I only know that Gala's peak all year and Granny's are nice in pie." She made a subtle hand gesture. His eyes opened briefly again before he picked up another apple. He knew the sign. He spent two years trying to train his sweet but ultimately idiotic wolfhound to respond to the hand-sign he had created for 'play dead.'

He raised an apple with a hoot. "Perfect. Now to give it to my daughter. Thank you miss. Good day."

Alexandra smiled and opened a line of communication. "Jasper, he's headed to the graveyard. We take him as he leaves through the park side gate."

Jasper's voice came through clear and bitchy. "Got it. Hurry so you can have some fun too."

Alex rolled her eyes and placed her fruit sack in an elderly woman's cart. "My father already bought fruit. I don't want it to go to waste," she explained in Russian as she left.

 

* * *

 

She smiled as she watched him place the apple on Helina's headstone. Helina liked flowers, but she adored apples. It was good to see he remembered. She flashed him with a bit of metal as he turned to leave. He slid his hand over his chest and leaned onto a gravestone.

"Is that fucker having a heart attack before we can kill him?" Jasper snarled and ran for Fedya, blade in his hand.

Alexandra ran after him and slid to her knees beside the older man as he fell into the gravel path. Jasper dropped down and raised his knife to find a blade through the soft tissue under his jaw. His grip on his own knife twitched. Cornflower blue eyes were wide as he looked toward Alex. The brunette held a finger to her lips. Fedya nodded and rolled out of the path of the blood as she sliced Jasper's throat. "Look out Jasper!" She was not going to assume she was not being listened in on as long as she was wearing anything Division gave her. "Die you son of a bitch!" She winked at Fedya and jerked her jaw and made a hand sign to keep low. She trusted him to stay out of the limelight. He had more bug out plans than a person would need in a million years.

She signaled Division. "Jasper and target down. Too much risk out here, dumping the bodies in an open grave. Headed back to safe house after."

"Acknowledged. Target dead?"

"He's a ghost," she responded before rolling Jasper into a hole and obscuring him with a little dirt. She cringed. Bug out plans...some had them still in contact, most didn't. Thank god she was becoming an agent. She might have to take care of the dirty work with Irina now.

She walked over and knelt by Helina's grave. Alexandra lightly brushed her fingers over the letters. She smiled at the apple before standing up and walking away.

 

* * *

_Helina laughed at Alex's antics as she tried to get the snow out of the back of her jacket. "Damn it Helina," she snarled._

_The black haired woman laughed harder. "I do it out of love."_

_"You do it to make me ...dance." Alex finally got the iciness out of her jacket. She smiled as Fedya came up between them and extended elbows. The two young women smiled and laced their arms through his. When they could they would take a day to enjoy the sun and then a nice dinner._

_"I am the luckiest man in the world tonight," he gushed. They strolled slowly down the street. He nodded at a flower vendor._

_"Oh papa," Helina tugged at his sleeve. "Buy me an apple instead. A rose for Alex and a beautiful red apple for me."_

_He laughed. "Of course my little one. But why?" he asked though she always said the same thing._

_"I am the apple of your eye papa. Besides, they are juicy." she laughed at the oft used line._

_"And a rose for me?" asked Alex._

_"Beautiful as you bloom, with one or two thorns." she said as she plucked the rose from the vendor's fingers and handed it to her papa to pin on her first love. She smiled happily and kissed Fedya's cheek before kissing Alex's. Her fingers brushed the other woman's hair back before she smiled and stepped back to search out the little apple woman with the vendor cart who often haunted this street._


	10. Chapter 10

Alexandra slowly walked around the modish apartment. The hardwood floors had many lovely rugs scattered. She ran her fingers down the cream wall in the living room and began to walk toward an ornate standing mirror that represented one of the few pieces of furniture already purchased for the unit. Amanda slid in behind her.

Amanda slid fingers slowly over Alex's stomach as she leaned in and tugged the younger woman's ear with her teeth before running the tip of the tongue along its curve. "This piece I chose for you. " She smiled her Viper smile.

Alex looked at it carefully. She slowly turned to face Amanda. "Thank you." She smiled and ran her fingers along Amanda's side. "It's lovely."

Amanda's fingers captured Alex's chin and she looked into her. "The things I will do to you in front of this mirror," she growled.

A knock sounded. Alex stepped back and turned to find Nikita in the doorway. Her stomach flipped lightly. What had she seen? "Hey," she called out.

Nikita walked over to place a basket on a pile of boxes full of basic apartment needs. "Hey, door was open," she responded still trying to figure out the rush of feeling at seeing Amanda leaning into Alexandra possessively.

Amanda took up her jacket. She turned. "I have to get back anyway. I left the folder with your furniture budget and new identification in the kitchen. Enjoy your new apartment." She smiled as she passed Nikita. The look on her face said she suspected what went through the two of them even if they didn't and she would enjoy the knowing to the hilt.

Nikita slowly walked the perimeter of the room, pausing a long time at the sliding door to the balcony. Looking out she finally asked, "What's the deal with Amanda?" Her voice was tight. Half of her didn't want to know. Her fist curled and uncurled.

Alexandra held her breath a moment before letting it slide out. The truth was kind of disturbing but she was already holding way too much back from a woman she was genuinely coming to care about. She opted for an unvarnished truth. "We fucked... once."

Nikita turned immediately and stalked over. "Are you out of your tiny little mind? That woman would shiv her own grandmother for shits and giggles and you fuck her? Getting noticed by Amanda? So not a good thing."

"Nikita, I know what I'm doing. I'm a big girl and have had to take care of myself for a long time now."

The older woman grabbed her arm and pulled her to the mirror. "Take a good look at yourself Alex because that woman will fuck with your brain until you don't know yourself anymore."

Alexandra ripped her arm out of Nikita's grasp. "You think I don't know what she is?"

"Then why?" Nikita said, her voice loud and pain-filled.

"What do you care?" Alex asked her arms open wide.

Nikita surged into those arms and kissed Alexandra fiercely. Slowly her lips gentled and she pulled back. She looked down at the rug beneath them. Alex's fingers stroked her jaw back toward her and returned a gentle kiss. Their foreheads came to rest against one another as Alex's fingers curled around hers.

Nikita laughed, a short thready sound. "I'm so not ready for that."

"Me either," confessed Alex. Her other arm slid around Nikita's back drawing her into an embrace. She buried her face in Nikita's neck for several long moments before the other woman embraced her. This felt so good, so right. She closed her eyes.

Nikita briefly fought herself. She still didn't know where Alex stood. Seeing her with Amanda? Knowing they fucked? Her trust was not at an all time high. She melted further into the embrace. This felt so good, so right. The words repeated several more times in her head. Nikita slowly pulled back.

"Need help furniture shopping?" She asked with a small half smile. She felt immediately lessened by the loss of contact but she needed a little distance to think.

Alex snorted. "Yeah, I think so. I think fine furnishing is a Walmart futon and a couple milk crates." Her brow creased. "What's my budget look like anyway?"

Nikita smiled fully. "Think less futon, more leather couch. Their idea of budget is luxury."

A low whistle erupted from the younger woman. "No more towels from the thrift? Yay. Tell you what... you help me spend the budget and I host tonight." She moved closer to hip bump Nikita. "Even let you pick the movies tonight."

Nikita laughed. "Let's go spend Division's money." She moved toward the kitchen to retrieve the folder.

 

* * *

**Irina**  trembled. She had vomited so much that she thought she had lost a few organs. An older man sat on a chair nearby in the gloom of the room. "Please," she whispered in Russian. She was feeling too sick to even push the black stringy hair out of her eyes.

"No." he responded in the same. "No more drugs, my little Irina. You will remember what you did with Alexandra's memory card and then we will live new lives you and I."

She looked at him. "Why? Who are you?"

He smiled sadly. "A father who lost his daughters. One to her dreams of revenge, and one, like you to drugs. We will get you clean little one, and see if perhaps you might be my third daughter. A new life. That is what we need."

"What's your name?"

"Now, now my name is Andrei Faustin." He leaned forward and moved the bucket closer. "You will rest for a time and then I will bring you some soup. I know your stomach is upset, but you will need your strength little Irina." He stood and left the room locking the door as he did.

He had been a fool. He thought that it would help his Alexandra if he were to carry on outside. Old Fedya playing at being Zatarra the Avenger. He barked a laugh as he drew down a vodka bottle and a covered plate from the shelf. Somehow, some way, he had left a blazing trail for Division from the scene of one of his little interventions.

Fedya sighed. When Irina, the girl that looked so much like his Helina did at the end, recover and tell him what had happened to the memory card, he would go to one of those internet cafes with the froufrou coffee drinks and nearly impossible prices and send one last message to the shell program before destroying the disk and killing Fedya forever.

He sighed. Andrei Faustin. He set up the identity a decade ago. Acted as an absentee boss for a book store in Kaliningrad. He wondered how his employees would feel having him there all the time. He smiled. Fedya would at least enjoy the zoo and parks. He always loved living things. He surrounded himself with industry and the underworld for far too long. It was time to live in the sun.

He looked back at the locked door.  _Almost time to live in the sun._


	11. Chapter 11

Amanda was closing her journal as Alex came in and closed her door. She gestured to the chair across from her. "Please have a seat Alexandra."

Alex smiled and sat. "No nakedness today Amanda?"

Amanda smirked and placed her journal on a nearby table. "I want to talk to you today Alexandra." Her face became seductive. "Although we will be having another conversation shortly that features your nakedness." Her face shifted back. "This conversation however, its about revenge."

Alex schooled her face. "Revenge?"

"Yes." She paused several long moments, as if searching Alexandra's face. "I had noticed that you and Nikita were becoming... fast friends. While her work remains impeccable and she maintains a certain … even tone with me in our occasional meetings, I worry that she will, at some point, conceive of going rogue to hunt down the individuals responsible for the death of her fiance." She shrugged slightly. "Nikita is, as you know, a very controlled woman and we may have very few clues before she does something that could get her killed."

Amanda watched the brunette before continuing. "Revenge can get very messy."

Alex shrugged. "Suppose so."

"Count on it." Amanda smiled. "I want to set up a meeting in a couple days, touch base with you."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"You naked in front of the mirror but that will have to wait at the moment dear Alexandra." Another faux-sincere smile and she led the younger woman out.

Returning to her chair, she opened her laptop and looked at the low angle picture of Alex firing a gun currently on the screen. Amanda smiled and closed it before taking up her leather journal.

 

* * *

**Alex**  headed for the computer lab. She had been doing random checks on the shell program just to check for Fedya. Nikita, out and about taking care of local business would have to wait til this evening. She frowned. If Nikita did something like run? She shuddered to think about the shit that would come down.

Opening the shell program after a recruit left her alone in the lab, she typed. _On?_

It came up immediately.

_I. Sold to woman who came later. Said friend of A. (not Sasha) Useless descrip._

_K. Thank you. Is this goodbye ?_

_Drop 12 when its all over. Goodbye._

Alexandra sucked in a breath. When her revenge was done, he found a way for her to find him, but it felt like a punch in the gut. Her second father was dead to her until her work was done. She grabbed her sweatshirt off the chair beside her after closing the shell and left Division. She needed somewhere to cry. Somewhere to be alone.

 

* * *

**"We still on for decompression tonight?"**   Nikita asked as she juggled the paper bag outside Alex's door later that evening. She stilled as she caught sight of Alexandra's face. Her fingers barely touched the younger woman's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Not if there isn't some serious chocolate in there. I see veggies." She said frowning as she peeked in.

Nikita tried to accept the evasion as the price of friendship in their line of work. "There's chocolate. I'm going to make real food first... Percy will be a bitch if we lose our girlish figures without a fight." Nikita chuckled.

"Okay." Alex slid back and put her hands in her back pockets as she followed the other woman into the kitchen. She pulled out a stool and perched as she watched quietly. She tried not to see the concerned expression on Nikita's face. "Remember Helina?"

"First love? Yeah." Nikita began chopping and warming the skillet.

"Found out her dad is gone." Alexandra sighed. "He was good to me." She grabbed a knife and started doing damage to a carrot. "Then there was the capper of the day..." She looked up. "Amanda called me to her office."

"Little afternoon delight?" Nikita asked bitterly. She wasn't willing to hide her jealousy anymore.

"No. She was worried about you making a runner... Are you leaving me Nikita?" Alex's knife stilled and she risked a glance up through her eyelids. Nikita's stillness made her worry. "No. I don't want to know." She stabbed the knife into the cutting block and went to the bag to pull out movies.

Nikita wiped her hands. "Let's walk, Alex."

 

* * *

 

They strolled down the evening street to a park. Nikita sat on a swing and watched Alexandra sit beside her. Reaching over she twisted their swings toward one another. She braced her legs around Alex's to hold them like this.

"I'm scared Alex," she whispered. She wrapped her fingers round as Alex put a hand on hers. "I can't keep doing it. Division... It's so wrong." She watched Alexandra's face desperate to know what she would do with this. "I have to fight it... I have to leave to fight it."

Alex closed her eyes a second. Nikita took a leap of faith for her. It was time to do the same. "It doesn't work," she whispered.

"What doesn't work?"

"Fighting from the outside. It's... it's why I infiltrated." Alex lifted her eyes to the other woman's to see the shock. Alex nodded. "They took my family and my life away. Tried to fight for years... As a matter of fact, it was one of your missions that made me change my plans. I was just a hair too slow to stop you and your team." She looked away at a hot dog vendor pushing his cart under a light toward the street. "If you leave, what do you think they will do to the ones you leave behind?"

Nikita looked down at their twined hands. "I don't know what to do. I can't stay."

Alexandra's heart cracked at the sadness in Nikita's voice. "Then don't. I'm an expert at being dead. Let's find a way to get you away that won't have Percy blowing brain bombs all over the place." She sucked back the sob that wanted to tear out of her throat. "We need to get back."

Brow knit Nikita looked up. "Why?"

"When you go, we won't be able to get close very easily. I don't want to waste our time together." She schooled her face. "We get back, I have a present."

"Present?"

"Program to communicate that Division won't see. I couldn't do it from the outside, you have no desire to do it from the inside... maybe we can do it from both ends...together." She stood and drew Nikita up. Her fingers slid up the other woman's cheek. Alex's lips brushed Nikita's.

"You were the ghost, Alexandra? The one they called Zatarra. Always screwing up Division's plans."

Alexandra nodded before looking away.

Nikita slipped her finger beneath the brunette's chin, lifting gently. She gazed into blue eyes before she leaned into her mouth. Slow lips becoming fierce, demanding, as she held the younger woman in place.

Their fingers curled around one another's until they reached the apartment. They held one another in the foyer for long moments. Alex pulled back to look at Nikita. "Why don't you finish dinner? I have to dig out something for this headache." Nikita kissed her temple and nodded before turning away and walking into the kitchen.

Alexandra went into the bathroom and opened the cabinet door above the sink. Her fingers froze inches from the bottle she needed. "Oh shit" Alex's eyes widened. She felt faint at the sudden realization. Only one "friend" knew about Vlad, was a woman, and had never been seen before by Irina. She was so totally fucked. Amanda's comment about revenge being messy shit... that was for her.


	12. Chapter 12

Alexandra took a deep breath and lightly rapped on Amanda's door. Upon admittance she moved to stand behind a leather chair, her hands curling on the top of it. She looked at Amanda and waited.

Amanda walked slowly to her chair after closing the door and sat down. She cocked her head as she waited the younger woman out.

"You went to Vlad's to learn about me, my life in the sex trade." Alex didn't want to start this but Amanda was very damned patient and Alex wanted to know why.

"A trauma can be used... whatever the source, but to know the source of the trauma, that can be real power." Amanda smiled as she indicated the chair's seat. "Imagine my surprise when I learned that we, Division that is, was the source of your scarring trauma." Her smile broadened as Alexandra sat down. "Your friend, Irina is it? She didn't want to share, but I saw she had something special. I had something special too. Enough money for the drugs to make any residual guilt go away." She turned the laptop and pulled up the video.

They watched together. Alex closed her eyes briefly before opening them on Amanda. "Why am I still alive?"

Amanda sat back and crossed her legs. "Percy is a relic. A greedy Cold War-Old West fusion. He solves every problem by killing it and regards people as targets. He calls some assets, but really...all targets, just waiting their turn. Oversight can't get his covert divine ownership of the world beliefs in line because he has leverage."

Alexandra as hired gun. After all this time in Division, this she understood. "So you want me to kill him?"

Amanda shook her head. "His leverage is tied to his pulse. I've learned that much. But if you were to neutralize the man who ordered your father killed... Oversight would put me in charge and hope that I will clean house."

"So I get a half-assed revenge in order to put you, a, let's be frank here, cold blooded dominatrix from hell into power."

Amanda smiled. "But wait.. there's more."

"Can't wait," Alex muttered.

"My dear Alexandra, if you assist me in my little power play, you won't just get the fun of neutralizing Percy (without flat-lining him of course) I will give you the man who paid Percy and the name of the agent who put the bullet in your father's head. Bonus, once I begin my clean up of Division, I will give you your name back."

"What does that mean?"

"The whole world will toast the once and future queen of Zetrov...Alexandra Udinov." Amanda smirked, her hands indicating the whole of Division. "I've no interest in being some kind of government funded mafia, paid by the highest bidder. We will return to the heart of what Percy, Bennett and I created. A covert organization tasked with mom and apple pie... just the way Michael has continued to delude himself it is."

Alex frowned. "And I'll trust you why?"

"We'll be partners Alexandra. Perhaps not besties, but really if you can't trust the woman who puts nipple clamps on you, who can you trust?" Amanda smiled again.

Alex stood and paced. "I want to know everything about the kill chips. No more bombs in people's heads. I want to know everything there is to know about Percy's leverage, the moment you know it. Sooner or later he'll flat-line with or without my help... I want to be the one to kill him and I want to make damned sure no one else pays for my revenge." She turned and looked at Amanda. "You try and fuck me over, I'll kill you."

Amanda's lips curled upwards. "That Alexandra, goes without saying. I will need Oversight to issue the order to move on Percy." She shrugged lightly. "They will not try anything stupid as long as they think I will be a good little girl."

Alex snorted.

Amanda quirked her brow. "I will be talking with Oversight today. You lay low... You shouldn't talk about this with anyone, especially Nikita."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Why especially Nikita?"

"Poor girl has trust issues and seeing you in bed with me, even figuratively, could drive her away."

"And learning she's been lied to?"

Amanda stood to her feet and faced her. The pads of her fingers lightly caressed the side of Alex's cheek. "Alexandra...Trust me." Her hand cupped at her face as her thumb traced her bottom lip. "It will be easier to redirect Nikita's righteous indignation after the fact."

Alex closed her eyes. She had already done so much to get to where she could strike. Her entire life revolved around revenge. Could she hide all this from Nikita just as they were starting? She drew in a breath. Removing Percy, stopping kill chips, revenge. That had to mean something. She opened her eyes and nodded. "You're right."

Amanda smiled as she slid her fingers through the younger woman's hair. "You are scheduled for a mission with Nikita tomorrow. Enjoy your day off Alexandra. Perhaps we will spend some... quality time when you return."

Alex smiled tightly. "Perhaps." she whispered, before turning on her heel and walking away.

 

* * *

**She**  smiled and poked Nikita as she was about to pass her in the street. "I missed you," she said quietly.

Nikita's lips curled into a smile. "Maybe we should work on your aim then." She chuckled and drew the woman into a hug. "How did things go down below?"

Alex shrugged and stepped away to buy a newspaper. "We have a mission."

"Got that memo." Nikita stepped in closer. "You're unhappy."

"Division just creeps me out some days," Alex muttered as she tossed a dollar into the bowl on the stand.

"Know the feeling. They give you the details?" Nikita asked quietly.

"Nothing."

"I know a little from Michael, maybe we should see if this is the one."

Alexandra turned to face her. "Can't wait to die can you?" She closed her eyes. She hurt Nikita with her tone. She could see that. "Sorry."

Nikita's hand curled around her bicep. She stepped in close and kissed Alex's forehead. "Let's go to my place," she said quietly.

Alex looked around as they drove into an industrial area. "Division likes me better than you?"

Nikita barked out a laugh. "No. We're going to my Division issued apartment but I thought we would enjoy the view." She pointed at an old industrial. Two fierce looking dogs ran along the fence barking at the car. She looked over at Alexandra who looked back at her. She nodded.

Alex leaned her head back and looked out the front windshield. Nikita had just trusted her safety to her. She blinked back tears. Her fingers stole around Nikita's and squeezed.

 

* * *

 

As they entered Nikita's official apartment, Alex captured her wrist and pulled her into a fierce kiss. Nikita gentled Alex's lips slowly as she forced her into the wall.

Alexandra's fingers slid up the back of Nikita's shirt, groaning at the silken feel of the warm skin beneath. The older woman rocked into her.

They made their way to the bedroom, slowly removing one another's clothes. Alex kissed each inch of skin exposed. Her lips moved as if savoring Nikita's shoulders and collarbone as she pushed her shirt off her shoulders. Her fingertips brushed over the other woman's breasts as her soft lips found their way back to Nikita's.

She stepped back to savor the light on the planes and curves of Nikita's body. Alex slid in close again and pressed her slowly back to the bed. Sliding in they kissed deeply. "Are you okay with this?" she whispered.

"Please Alex," Nikita entreated.

Alexandra smiled and slid down. Nikita arched trying to move closer as Alex's lips encircled her nipple, tugging and suckling. "Just like that," Nikita whispered.

Nikita moaned as Alex's hand slid down her side and brushed her thigh. She rocked against the younger woman. "Please," she whispered.

"Tell me what you want," Alexandra whispered against her ear as her fingers slid over her lover's mound. She trailed her tongue along Nikita's lobe and smiled as she felt the older woman arch under her.

Nikita's hips were beginning to rock as Alex's fingers slipped along her folds and brushed her clit. "Alex," she moaned. She gasped as the fingers slipped in and out of her.

Her breathing grew shallower as she grew closer. Alexandra moved in her always keeping her orgasm just out of reach. She clung as it finally came. Alex rocked her and held her as she came down. "I got you." she whispered as she kissed Nikita's eyelids. Nikita held her close many times that night until dawn found Alex staring at the ceiling.

She looked at the sleeping Nikita and felt like crying. She felt like she was betraying Nikita by not being totally honest with her. Alexandra wanted... needed to be punished. She knew where to go for that.

 

* * *

 

 

**Alexandra** leaned beside the door as Amanda walked up. “That good?” Amanda asked archly as she let the younger woman inside. Alex paced slowly back and forth, averting her eyes from mirrors the older woman had dotted around the perimeter of the room. Amanda smiled as she sat and watched amused.

 Alex growled and sat. “I don't know why I'm here.”

 Amanda's brow rose. “Your neck and the way you walk indicate satiation therefore, either you seek advice or you need to feel punished.” She paused a moment. “Any thoughts on the subject?”

 “Advice from you.... I feel dirty. I am as bad as you.”

 Amanda chuckled. She stood slowly and gracefully. Moving to the other side of the room she released a folding eyebolt so it stood out from the wall. She turned and strode to stand behind Alexandra. Her fingers slid over Alex's head. “It's ironic really. You think I am a terrible person and yet I have what it takes to make you feel better.” Her fingers tightened cruelly and pulled up.

 Alex gasped and followed her hair up. Amanda dragged her over to the eyebolt. “Hands on the wall.”

 “Amanda..”

 Amanda slammed Alexandra hard into the wall. She tensed to throw herself back at the other woman but she couldn't. Closing her eyes, she took one breath then another. Her hands unclenched and slid up the wall even with the eyebolt. “Do it,” she snarled.

 Amanda wrapped the cuffs around Alex's wrists and clipped her to the wall. She slid a blade into Alex's field of vision before sliding the silver sliver up the back of the younger woman's shirt and bra. Alex shivered as the cold steel brushed her skin and the cold air hit it as the back of the shirt opened wide and her pants slid down no longer supported by the now broken waistband. Her forehead slid to the chain of the cuffs and her blue eyes closed.

 Amanda's nails raked down Alex's spine drawing out an almost inaudible mewing noise. She smiled and moved to a cabinet. She drew open the doors and pulled one of the drawers slowly, almost savoring the sound of the wheels in the track as a prelude to what was to come.

 She ran fingers over cold metal and soft leather. Amanda pulled out a belt, drawing the buttery soft strap through her fingers. She closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma before moving toward the younger woman. Nails drew down her back and over the gentle curve of her ass before she felt as much as heard the whistling of the leather through the air.

Alex braced herself but still was not prepared at the crack of the leather against her flesh. She hissed. She absorbed the fire edge of the pain and the cool air against her red skin. This is what she needed. She could not get absolution through confession, she needed to burn out her sin. She needed to pay for darkness she had to continue to support for the time being.

_Crack... Crack._ Tears stood at the edges of her eyes. Damned hard for her to cry but here she was. Her limbs began to tremble as blow after blow came. She would not cry out. Not until the pain burned it away.

Amanda pulled back. Her nails raked the hot flesh on the younger woman's back and ass. She stepped forward to press into Alexandra. She smiled at the whimper. Her hand slid between Alex's ass cheeks, pressing forward. “Is this where she touched you?”

 Alex pressed her face against the wall. “Yes,” she whispered.

 “You wanted her there?”

 “Yes,” came again quietly.

 Amanda smiled, the smile growing as Alexandra widened her stance. “I have striped you, Alexandra. I will fuck you and stripe you again and then, dear Alexandra, you will thank me for it.”

 “Yes,” came barely a whisper. She needed this. She needed to pay for everything.

 Amanda yanked Alexandra's hips drawing them back, drawing Alex down further. She positioned the woman and slid her fingers along her slit. Alex twitched slightly as Amanda pressed gently on the other woman's clit.

Smiling Amanda moved to the cabinet and took out a dildo. She drew it between the younger woman's legs. She pulled it into the light. “Oh dear, you are so wet. You are a little slut... You fuck your lover and run here to be fucked by me. You will be paying for that Alexandra.” Her fingers twisted in Alex's hair and yanked her head back. Amanda's teeth pressed into the mark made by Nikita on Alex's throat.

 Alex groaned then gasped at the large member sliding into her. She went on her toes toward the wall as the phallus pressed deep inside her. She groaned again as it left her. Alexandra felt her hair pulled again. Amanda leaned into her. The stripes on her back and ass burned at the touch of even Amanda's fine dress. “Beg me.” Amanda drew back.

 Alex pressed her brow against the wall. She couldn't do this. She'd been punished. This is what she came back here for. Why was she still here? Her back burned and chilled as her warm wet center began to throb to be filled again. She felt... She needed to be punished... and part of her secretly enjoyed every little thing Amanda did to her.

 Tears rolled down her cheek. “Please,” she begged. “Finish this.”

“Of course Alexandra.” Amanda stepped in and filled the other woman again. She rocked the dildo in and out of the younger woman as she began to rock against it.

 “Oh god, fuck me,” she whispered.

 Amanda fucked her harder and faster. She would give Alexandra her orgasm, her release on her terms. She looped the belt around Alex's throat. The younger woman fought briefly until the belt tightened. It released as Amanda continued to fuck her. It slid tight again. Her ears started ringing and she grew light headed even as her orgasm found her, ripped through her. She collapsed hard against the wall as the belt loosened.

The dildo was slipped from between her legs even as she still fluttered. Amanda's fingers slipped through her now sweaty hair. Amanda pulled back entirely, leaving Alex feeling cold again. She turned her head to watch the other woman. Amanda examined the dildo then gently placed it on a cloth on the top of the cabinet. The older woman turned and watched the younger for a long moment.

 Alex looked at the open drawer. “So eager Alexandra. I think I need to teach you patience."  Amanda pulled out a studded paddle and and walked slowly over to Alex. “I hope you were intending a long session.”

 Alex closed her eyes and groaned and soon enough it began again.


	13. Chapter 13

Opening her locker stretched Alexandra's shoulders almost uncomfortably after Amanda's lessons in patience. She groaned quietly. She ended up running home in a freaking gown of all things after Amanda sliced her clothes removing them. Now with her favorite shirt a memory, she was going into her locker pulling out sweats and wondering if she should change in the toilet stall to avoid the gossipy hen crowd with her striped back and bruised ass.

She turned at a knock on the changing room door. "Alex, we have a job for you," Michael called through the cracked door.

"Be right there," she called vaguely relieved.

Alexandra and Michael walked up toward Percy's office. Amanda passed by pressing a message into Alex's hand. Sliding it into her pocket, Alex jogged up the short set of stairs to find Nikita waiting at the top. She frowned. "I thought our mission got pushed back," she mused.

"It did," Percy announced walking between them. "You have a little errand to run ladies. The other mission is on hold until Intel can get its head out of its ass and give us enough to work with. " He dropped into his chair and opened a file on his computer before swiveling the monitor to face them. "You two will be trading briefcases with an agent name called Kaiken. "

Alex's eyes narrowed. Been a while since she played with the rather elusive woman known to her as Chihiro. Maybe this was going to be a real opportunity.

Nikita frowned. "Why the hell would you send us rather than the usual errand boys?"

Percy shrugged. "It may well be a cake run, but the briefcase we are receiving makes a bit of caution a requirement. On top of which, we have heard vague rumors in the intelligence community that this Kaiken is honorable to a fault. The fault of course being when Kaiken can walk away with everything."

"What do we have on this Kaiken?"

"Nothing," replied Percy. "You will meet this Kaiken at a specific time and place and look for the sign." He opened his hand. "Your phone Nikita."She passed it to him and he used his computer to enter the details into the memory. "Michael has your plane tickets. Enjoy Japan."

Alex drew Nikita aside as they left Division to go pack. She smiled and then smiled broader as Nikita answered in kind. "This is the one," she said quietly.

"One what?" Nikita asked puzzled.

Alex leaned in and sang quietly. "This will be the day-hey-hey that you die." She leaned back and wiggled her eyebrows. "I have to go get my bag and I'll meet you at the airport. Okay?"

"Yeah." Nikita frowned. "Everything is going to be ok, right?"

"Better than ok." Alex smiled and walked to her car. She drove with her usual lack of caution and was home quickly. Throwing some things into her bag, she disabled her work phone and pulled out a burner. She started walking to the nearest bus stop. There was more than enough time to catch the plane and she needed to make a call.

"Moshi moshi Chihiro. It's your nemesis and buddy. Oh very funny... Alex you wench. Remember when I got your ass out of that pinch? I just thought of a way you can pay me back." She laughed. "Black hats are everywhere, we'll talk when I get there. You still like that bubble headed karaoke crap?" Laughing again she pulled out her wallet and took out her fare. "Will call you when I get in. Love to that creepy half naked mongrel of yours... Bye."

Alexandra settled in a seat that looked only mildly filthy and smiled all the way to the airport.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  paced. "I don't like this. Why the hell are we cooling our heels in the fucking airport parking lot."

A sleek Toyota MR2 Turbo screeched into the parking lot. The convertible top came down to reveal a Twenty-something year old woman of Japanese descent. "Hop in bitches," she called out in a heavily accented voice.

Alex laughed and leapt into the car. Nikita followed behind more slowly. The woman in the front seat turned to look at her appraisingly. She turned back to Alexandra. "She's hot, you tap her yet?"

Alex punched her shoulder. "None of your business." She turned. "Nikita, Chihiro. Chihiro, Nikita. And in case you haven't worked it out, Kaiken, the woman you are going to fake kill. Are we doing some fucking shots and karaoke or what?"

Chihiro howled like a wolf and peeled out heading for her favorite bar where they would get a nice seat in the VIP lounge. When they got there she turned Nikita's head. Nikita pulled back. "You been lo-jacked?" Chihiro turned to Alex who was just coming back with a bowl of wasabi peas. "She been lo-jacked? 'Cause you know we gotta make her body appear irretrievable."

Alexandra shrugged. "Wood chipper?"

"Dropped in the ocean with cement?" Chihiro countered.

"Wait... I am still on you being Kaiken... and how the hell do you two know each other?"

Alex smiled. "Studied with Chihiro's father who happened to be damned good at the spy game. He was an unknown while he was actually in the game. You know how tough that can be to manage when you are damned good. Started teaching a few people here and there. Got a quiet reputation in the circles I moved in... Came here to study. Ended up friends with Miss Wild Thing here."

Chihiro laughed. "She saved my ass after putting it in the pinch in the first place so I owe her...sort of." She bared her teeth fiercely at Alex. "Little assassin's room. Find out if she's lo-jacked." She bounced up and headed to a door off to the side.

Nikita turned to her. "When do I get to hear the full story?"

Alexandra shook her head with a grin. "When she is not on the job Chihiro has a mouth. I'm sure you'll be getting a hell of a lot of the story tonight." Her smile faltered but then it renewed and she leaned forward to kiss Nikita's cheek and squeezed her hand under the table. This time her experience in Japan would end well...

 

* * *

_Alex waited impatiently, craning her head constantly. She almost didn't recognize Helina coming down the long corridor. She surged forward through the crowds. "Helina!"_

_Helina turned toward her and almost stumbled. She had dark shadows under her eyes and was even paler than usual. She gave a weak smile. "Alex." She held open her arms._

_Alexandra swallowed against the dryness of her throat as she felt how thin Helina was under her sweater. "Are you okay?"_

" _Never better," the young Russian announced. She smiled and looked around. "Show me Japan already."_

_Alex led her to the car out front. Chihiro leaned out. "Are we partying or what?"_

_Alex laughed and introduced them. Helina leaned into her. "What is this? Months out of country and you're replacing me?" she snarled. She pushed up her sleeves and turned toward the car._

"O _f course not," Alexandra responded. "Chihiro is just a friend." She frowned. "What's wrong with you?"_

_Helina slid into the car and started complaining about the flight. Chihiro commiserated and generally kept things upbeat where she could. Alex was trying to wrap her head around the needle tracks she saw for just a moment before Helina dragged her sleeves back down._

_Later that night, they walked along a rural road under the stars. "What's with the tracks?" Alexandra tried to keep her tone even._

" _I don't know what you're talking about," Helina snapped. "What's with the Inquisition?"_

" _Not an Inquisition. I'm just worried," Alex shot back. "I love you and something is terribly wrong."_

_Helina spun and poked her chest. "The only thing wrong here is you. All suspicious... or are you redirecting? What could you be hiding? Are you with her is that it?" Helina turned and started back for the house where they were staying._

" _Where are you going?" Alex asked pained._

" _I am getting my things and going back where I belong. I will not be interrogated by my girlfriend who is never there and who probably is fucking women in a dozen countries. Fuck you Alexandra."_

_Alex tried calming her down, but she didn't slow down until a taxi-cab came and took her away._

Alexandra ran her fingers through her wavy hair dispelling the ghosts from her past. She watched Chihiro dragging Nikita off to the dance floor and sat back. She tugged the small piece of paper Amanda had slipped her out of her pocket.

Two words.  _Neutralize Percy._


	14. Chapter 14

Chihiro's face was still as they left the bar that night. Nikita frowned. "What's wrong?"

Alex came up behind her and took her hand in hers. She leaned around Nikita slightly. Barking a laugh, she urged Nikita to the car. "It's always like this. She does this schizo thing. Work hard, play harder." She shook her head.

Chihiro slid into her seat and fired up her engine. "You remember when we talked about the whole ... as a spy you have to trade things that make you feel like you just got bent over and fucked hard?"

"Yeah?" Alexandra frowned at her. She saw Chihiro's face. "What? What are we trading?"

Chihiro roared them onto the freeway. Her face was grim. "Division wants a package. It's the next gen face recognition. Ties in to everything from traffic cams to cell phones and then its tied to a dedicated set of drones. It's made for one thing... Assassination and messy assassination at that."

"You were going to hand Division the means to kill pretty much anyone shy of some mountain hermit," Nikita mused out loud as she sat back.

"No."

Nikita turned and looked at Alex. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean Chihiro doesn't complete trades like that. Something always... "goes wrong."

Nikita's head swivelled. "Are you serious?" she asked, her brow knitted.

"Liquid armor, guns that shoot around corners. I don't mind selling that shit. This stuff is the thing nightmares are made of. Sooner or later this will get out but it won't be because of me." She looked in the rear-view mirror at Nikita. "'Killing' you will be easy cause I already planned to kill you."

Alexandra air surfed her hand for a moment. "We need to render the warranty void on the item, kill Nikita, and get me out to the exfil point with enough mangled remains of that case to get me back in house."

Chihiro frowned. "Father doesn't play third party intervention games anymore... Fedya?"

"He's out," Alex responded sharply.

Both Chihiro and Nikita turned to watch her face. Nikita squeezed her arm. "You okay?" She asked quietly.

Alexandra forced a smile. She nodded and went back to hand surfing.

Nikita thought a moment. "What kind of case?"

Chihiro thought long and hard. "EMP proof. I could prescramble the shit out of the package and then we just have to find a way to break the corner during the "fight" then at some point trigger a pulse or make it look like a pulse triggered."

"I got it... Change the meeting place to the Okinawa Ferry. Some point mid-route... We stage the fight mid decks where they would have a few pieces of heavy machinery for moving freight. Guns, Chihiro, you jump on the forklift and I will jump on to fight you. We run all over the deck including smashing the corner of the case. We go overboard on the fork truck. A few rounds at the water should sell them on my unfortunate death." Nikita looked at the two women one after another.

Alex laughed heartily. "You still hang out with that dipshit Aki? Aki can hang over the horizon or whatever to pick the two of you up." She laughed again. "Nikita..you are a genius."

Chihiro stopped near their posh hotel. "You two walk from here. That place is too nice for me to waltz up. Too many cameras...and that would just be bad."

Alex kissed her cheek and jumped out moving around to get the carry-ons they stowed in the trunk. Chihiro grabbed Nikita's arm as she slid out. Nikita tilted her head at the younger woman.

"Alex is my soul sister. Hurt her and I will make your death hard."

Nikita leaned back toward her. She smiled. "You worry about contacting Division. I will keep Alex happy." She lightly slapped Chihiro's cheek. The girl was clearly a good friend, but no one intimidated Nikita. "Go. Contact them and then relax a little. I'll take care of what's mine."

 

* * *

**Nikita**  wrapped her arms around Alex's waist as they entered their hotel room. The younger woman smiled and melted back into her. Nikita's lips brushed her temple and they stood for long moments just soaking in one another's presence.

"Hi," Alexandra said quietly not wanting to break the spell.

"Hi." Nikita turned the other woman and kissed her passionately. She was not willing to waste a single minute of the time they had left together. Possessive fingers tugged at her lover's belt. "Let's get these off." Nikita continued to yank at Alex's belt and quickly unbuttoned her pant. Alexandra leaned into the wall as Nikita pushed her pants further down. "You're tense. Just relax." Alex smiled and nodded. She flipped off the light above them. She made a mental note to get out of bed before Nikita could see her battered skin in the morning.

Nikita urged her toward the bed. Shedding her own clothes on the way. She straddled the other woman on the queen size mattress. Teeth and tongue traveled over her warm flesh, as she delicately ran her nails over her abs in the dark. "Who's Fedya?" she asked quietly.

Alexandra moved Nikita off, tugged her shirt back down, and jumped out of bed. Her feelings for Nikita were more than lust. She wanted to share as much of the truth as she could with the woman she hoped was not only her present...but also her future. "Fedya is another one that Division took from me." Alex admitted as she switched on the over head light.

Their eyes met. "He was important to you?"

Alexandra nodded. "My second father... He helped me ready myself for my war against Division... to first attack Division from the outside and then helped get me inside." Alex's arms crossed as she walked to the bed and sat on the edge.

Nikita sat beside her. "Alex, We'll take Division down... together."

Alex looked up, the pain and vulnerability evident in her face. "Promise?" she insisted, her fingers tight on Nikita's knee.

"I promise." Nikita moved behind Alex, wrapping her arms and legs around the woman who embodied her world tonight. "I don't like the idea of putting you back inside alone...You promise to be safe inside, until I can get you out."

"I will kick ass and take names until this is all over," Alex vowed.

Nikita trailed kisses up her neck. "Is Alex your real name?" she whispered in her ear.

Alex smiled softly. "Alexandra Udinov at your service."

Nikita's smile faltered as she pulled Alex into her aggressively. She held tight until she knew she had succeeded at making her expression a poker face again. The pads of her fingers danced over Alexandra's neck and down to her throat. "Pleasure to officially meet the real you."

"More pleasure in kissing me," Alexandra teased as she relaxed into Nikita's embrace.

Nikita unwrapped herself from Alex and moved off the bed toward the light switch. She flipped the switch before pouncing back onto the bed and her waiting lover.

"Nikita?" Alex moaned under her touch.

"Alex?" Nikita breathed between kisses.

"I would like to add Choy Lee Fut to my fighting repertoire... Percy once mentioned that you could teach me?"

Nikita pushed Alex back into the mattress and attacked her lips. "I will think about it... I do have a lot of things to teach you... lesson one.. starts now."

Nikita smiled and pressed her fingers into her wrists. They plunged into the darkness of the room and of their pleasures.


	15. Chapter 15

Alexandra tossed her tea cup into a nearby garbage bin and then returned to the railing where Nikita stood, staring out over at the ocean. She slid her hand over Nikita's and squeezed lightly. "You've been staring for the past three hours. You're freaking out aren't you?"

Nikita turned and looked over at Alex. "Freaking?"

"About the trade and the fresh start. 'Cause you know that's what it'll be for you, a fresh start." Alex smiled. "It's all good things Nikita. Smile for me?"

Nodding, Nikita smiled at her lover. "Everything's going to be okay," she quoted Alex from the day before.

"Damn straight." Alexandra turned to scan the crowd for Chihiro making her way to the mid decks. No sign but then the woman was damned slippery when she wanted to be. She got that from her dad's side and her potty mouth from her mom's. The younger woman smiled to remember the family dinners that they had together. Never a dull moment.

Nikita grabbed her arm. "Alex."

Alex turned back toward Nikita. "Yeah?"

"What's the plan for revenge? We never ironed that out...Just going to shut Division down?"

It took a moment for Alexandra to catch up with Nikita's change of subject. She shook her head. "I plan to leave a bloody mess where Division, Percy, the client, and the assassin are concerned." She smiled engagingly. "Don't worry. I'll be good... Careful."

"Alex... there has to be more to this than revenge...or you will never find healing...balance is more important than revenge. We can set the wrong things right...and make Percy pay for what he's done to the both of us."

Alex looked at her lovingly. "Balance... I'm not sure that I know what that is anymore."

Nikita tightened her grip on Alex's arm. "Then, you better be glad you have me to teach you." They smiled at each other.

"You have no idea how glad I am." Alexandra jerked her chin, and toggled her transmitter. "Headed to rendezvous."

"Be careful," Michael warned.

"Don't take any wooden technologies," Birkhoff chirped cheerfully in the background.

"Michael, keep Mary Sunshine off my transmitter," Alex growled before toggling off. She touched Nikita's arm. The older woman looked uncharacteristically upset. _Are you sure?_  She mouthed.

Nikita nodded and tossed Alex the back pack containing a black box with a digital payday attached. It took some squabbling but Chihiro agreed to forgo her payment this once to make Alexandra a hero despite the busted equipment. The older woman clanged down the metal stairs to the mid deck where cars and crates and heavy equipment lived. She was not looking forward to the water. Even this time of year the water was going to be a bit chilly and she was going to be treading water with a bag over her head and shoulders. Designed to kill signals, it would keep Division thinking her last locator ping (which would be far below the surface) was the last ping of her life. Chihiro would put the bag over her as they dived down and then the Japanese woman would guide her back up. Nikita tried not to think about everything that could go wrong.

"Into position," Nikita whispered into her own transmitter.

"Keep loose guys and if one of you could give us a description of Kaiken for future reference, that would be good."

"Of course Michael," Nikita assented.

A pair of workers were chatting and laughing near the fork truck. They needed that piece of equipment for the plan. Alex strode up to them. She pulled out a book and started sounding out words and batting her eyelids. One of them laughed and walked to the top deck while the other waved and headed to the mid deck office area.

Nikita smiled. "What did you ask them?"

"I told them I was looking for the rest of my swimsuit model companions." She grinned. "The guy in the office is married and afraid of his wife."

"Cameras where?" Nikita said quietly. Alexandra turned slowly and jerked her chin as she rotated to indicate the camera locations. It was going to be tough to make this look believable and do what needed to be done. Nikita had pre-crushed the corner of the case and put a fake corner over the top to crush on cue so at least that would be less stress. She just needed to make sure Chihiro's case ended up under the truck somehow before they took their big dive.

A figure in head to toe black dropped silently out of the shadows. "Holy Ninja Batman," Alex breathed for the benefit of the transmitter. Chihiro loved her drama and adored her ninja movies.

The figure strode to a storage crate and pulled up the top to reveal a case. The ninja slid the case halfway across the floor. As they moved forward toward it, the ninja pulled a gun and started firing. "Cover me," Nikita yelled to Alex as she ran for the case, scooping it and running for the fork truck. Alexandra fired several times before Kaiken melted into the crowd of crap that filled the mid decks.

Kaiken tackled Nikita sending the case sliding toward the tires of the truck. They struggled for several minutes.

Kaiken climbed up the side of the truck to kick at Nikita. They struggled mightily as Nikita threw herself up after the ninja costumed assassin. Alex covered the fight with her gun. "Kaiken and Nikita are mixing it up. I can't get a clear shot," she transmitted.

"Percy says retrieval is your priority," Michael replied.

Alex toggled off her transmitter. "Fucker," she growled and shot an office window as Mr. Married poked his head around the door frame. She moved toward the case as Nikita kicked the truck to life. Kaiken and Nikita slammed together again and someone's foot slammed the accelerator as they leaned into the seat enough to keep the engine running. The fork truck's wheel lifted at the sudden acceleration and slammed onto the case.

Alex ran forward to throw her body on the case as it spun away from the truck. The truck slammed into a cabinet and then ran through the chain and off into the deep. Alexandra pushed herself up grabbing the case and ran toward the edge. The straps from the money bag on her back cut in as she sucked in air. Alex toggled the transmitter. "They're both overboard!"

"Watch for them. Do you have the case?"

"Fuck the case what about Nikita?"

Several long seconds passed. "We've lost her transmitter. She was dropping pretty fast. Nikita was probably unable to get clear and got pulled down. Do you have the case?"

"I have your fucking case and her fucking case," Alex snarled. She missed Nikita already, but she was ever hopeful that the plan would go off without a hitch. Nikita would finally be free. She smiled internally at the thought.

"Get out of sight and stay out of sight until we can exfil you in... three hours. Watch for the green boat to pull up even."

"Got it," Alexandra snapped off. She gave a quick, tight smile as she caught sight of an ostentatious Riva Aquarama just coming up over the horizon. _Aki._ She frowned as she turned for the on-ramp camera and jogged to the storage locker she scouted to hide out in until it was time to go back and get to work.


	16. Chapter 16

Alexandra stood as Percy paced back and forth behind the desk. "You let this Kaiken ninja wanna-be destroy the value of the package, Alex. You have no idea how disappointed I am."

Her jaw muscles twitched. "Package compromised. Money brought back. Nikita lost." She ticked off the list of everything Percy was likely to comment on. Barely five minutes in and it was already a horrifically long meeting.

He looked at her sneering slightly. "Nikita was a very good agent, but obviously not good enough." He slowly sat down in his chair. "I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. Not today, but soon."

"Understood sir. Thank you."

Alexandra soon left the office for the main corridor. She checked left to right before entering the women's restroom. She jumped lightly onto a toilet and removed a ventilation panel to climb in. The ventilation system was localized. Heavily guarded against infiltration from the outside, but it did not prevent movement by say a young agent skinnying along to the other bathroom to avoid the monitoring that was so prevalent in public spaces. She carefully lowered herself to the seat of a toilet in the men's room. Her face twisted. "Urinal cakes," she whispered. She pulled out an out of order sign and an adhesive strip from her jacket lining and secured the outside of her stall. Flicking the lock, she turned and poured water from the bowl around her camouflaging stall. She perched and waited.

She chewed on her lip as the hour dragged on and men used the facilities. Suddenly, she straightened slightly, the familiar light footsteps that only an hour ago paced across carpet. She lowered herself and slid from the stall. Percy was relieving himself as Alex pushed a pressure injector to his neck. She lowered him as he became loose and started collapsing. She dragged him to the out of order stall. "Sorry about putting you in the toilet water boss, but at least it will help the piss on your pants." She lifted herself back into the ventilation and using a block and tackle she had stowed in the air ducts earlier, lifted the man in after her. She slid the lid back into place just as the men's room door opened again.

 

* * *

 

Alex was soon facing the older man bound in a chair in the cleaning supply room. He was struggling to get his vocal cords to cooperate. "They say knowledge is power. I am going to give you a little power here. I am Alexandra Udinov and you arranged the death of my family."

Percy's eyes went still as they probed the younger woman's face.

"Oh I know. You have some magic hold over people to keep them in line. I get that. I also get that to release your monsters, you have to die." She looked him over. "I can keep you alive a long time Percy." She smiled. "And don't worry about your office. It'll be taken care of."

A series of raps was heard on the door before the knob turned. "Ah, here we go Percy. Your replacement."

Amanda walked into the closet. She smiled. "Oh Alexandra, you do bring me the nicest presents."

"Sorry Amanda, this is my toy."

"Pity." Amanda ran her fingers through Percy's hair before tightening and yanking his head back. "Think of all the fun we could have together."

Percy's eyes bounced to Alexandra.

Alex laughed. "If I didn't have this whole blood for blood thing going, I think we could play with him forever."

"Not forever, just long enough for me to neutralize his insurance policy and then I expect you will want to find out just how far his intestines will stretch... I see my little chemical cocktail is working well." Amanda noted.

"Limited involuntary and facial muscle use. Limp as a carrot otherwise."

Amanda sighed. "There was one problem with it." She removed a jeweled pin from her hair. She slid it into the skin of his arm. "Little nerve awareness anywhere..." She pulled the now bloody pin and moved it to his face, pressing into his cheek. She smiled as his eyes whirled. "Save the functional facial areas. Pity." She handed the pin to Alexandra who smiled.

"I have arranged a transport out. Just take him out in the linens basket in ..." she checked her watch. "Twenty seven minutes when I free up a window of time via the facility monitoring system. Do try to avoid Michael. He is bound to try to be heroic and stupid." Amanda smiled. "Percy still has him thinking that his way is the American way." She paused. "I suppose in a way it is. The business of America is doing business after all."

"And the rest of the information?"

"I will give you the name of the client when you are clear of the facility... and the assassin? Well, it hardly matters but I will tell you once Percy's toys are neutralized." She stroked Alex's cheek. "It will be very difficult to avoid killing him. I want to give you motivation to do your very best my dear Alexandra. I do love you at your very best." Amanda pressed Alex against the wall, fingers roaming under her blouse, as she leaned into her. "You always want to be your very best for me... don't you?" Amanda roughly kissed Alex as Percy watched. She turned and patted Percy's cheek. The older woman realized her finger had dipped into the blood dripping down his skin and sucked the crimson fluid off her digit with a smirk.

"Alexandra will take very good care of you Percy. As good as I would." She glared before slipping out of the room.

Alex watched her leave and turned to Percy. "Be glad that my getting you was part of the deal. Anything I could do would pale compared to her. Fucking evil bitch." She dragged the laundry cart over and started maneuvering the man into it.


	17. Chapter 17

Chihiro looked over at the dentist chair where Nikita sat. The woman had dealt with having a bag over her head for several hours like a champ. She was being equally stoic during the removal of her tracker. Chihiro looked at the outer door opening. She stood upright from her slouch against the wall and smiled. "Chichi."

Her father came and stroked her cheek. He was still having trouble being demonstrative but decades spent surrounded by women with no intention of self-editing were making an impact. "This is Zatarra's friend?" he asked as he turned to look at the woman being cut.

"Nikita."

He turned back to her. "The Nikita?" He frowned slightly. "I certainly hope no one entertains doubts about her death. They will move heaven and earth to get her back in fold or truly dead otherwise."

"Zatarra is covering her from the Division end." She smiled. "I think they are like you and mother in the beginning Chichi."

He smiled slightly. "Heaven help them then. Love is difficult enough when you are both on the same side of the fence working together in this line. This Nikita on the outside, Zatarra within? Difficult."

"Not impossible. All they have to do is kill all the bad guys." Chihiro smiled. "Zatarra alone was fucking them up regularly. Both of them?" She shrugged.

Her father clucked. "Language Chihiro. How do you expect to find someone with such language?"

"Mother said it was her filthy fucking mouth that hooked you Chichi." She laughed.

The doctor finished his procedure. Nikita raised herself up and ran fingers over the bandage. She looked over at Chihiro and an older man in the doorway between the tiny medical office and the outer office. Chihiro strode over and took the implant from the doctor. "Bet you're glad to see this go." She smiled at the other woman. The doctor took his cue and payment from the older Japanese man who handed him an envelope and a jerk of the chin.

Nikita smiled back. "Hard to believe that the leash was that tiny." She looked up from her examination of the device. "So what do I do with it?"

Chihiro frowned at it. "Never throw away an asset. My chichi says everything can be an asset." She smiled at the older man who bowed slightly toward Nikita. "I say we get a shielded container for it and maybe crack it when the time is right." She held it out. Nikita took the little tracker and held it up before depositing it in the tiny shielded bag that Chihiro offered her.

"Good idea. Now the hard part."

Chihiro's father moved forward and slid a passport from his jacket pocket. "It will require a photograph."

"Thank you..."

"You may call me Daisuke." He bowed again. "It is a pleasure to meet you Emily Trahn. Your plane leaves in the morning. You should rest."

"Thank you Daisuke. I will." She flipped the passport and looked at it as he left the way he came in. "I've never been an Emily."

Chihiro leaned back with narrowed eyes. "We have to change the shape of your face and maybe some glasses. Oh, and lean your head 15 degrees whenever you think there's a camera around. Most of the face rec software tied to cameras in the places your going have a hell of a time even recognizing you have a face if you do that." She smiled. "Anyone waiting on you in your new home?"

Nikita thought a moment. "I have dogs. Oh, and someday, Alex will be there."

The younger woman took out some cotton dams and unceremoniously pulled open Nikita's mouth to stuff them between jaw and cheek to try changing her look. She shrugged and nodded. "That works. Let's get to my place. I got the rest of what we need." She looked Nikita in the eyes. "There better be bbq when you two crazy kids get done upending things and I better be invited. Can't get a decent bbq around here for nothing." She pulled Nikita to her feet. "Let's go play with my make up kit Emily."

 

* * *

**Nikita**  soon found herself sitting at the desk in her new spacious home. A dog paced over and lay his head on her knee even as his brother lay at her feet, his chin on his brother's tail. She smiled down. "Hello boys," she said quietly. Petting first Cerebus, then Fenris she leaned back in her chair. New world, new life and she was a little at loose ends. Her computer flashed.

Reaching up, she smiled at the sigh of Cerebus at losing his ear scratcher. The shell program. She pulled it up.

_N. P is out of game. Need to neut. his leverage_

Nikita frowned. _How is P out? What leverage?_

_More later. X_

The shell closed and Nikita frowned for a moment before deciphering the x. Her fingers brushed her lips. "A kiss to you as well Alex." She leaned down and stroked Cerebus. "It's time boys. She is going to be in over her head in no time flat. Let's see if I can't find out what is going on."

 

* * *

 

Alex turned in her chair toward the doorway of the computer lab. Michael was standing there frowning. He looked at her for long moments. "What happened?"

The young woman shrugged at the gentlest of her mentors. "Percy debriefed me." She didn't feel like she should spill the story any more than she had to. God knows a piece of her lit up in triumph every time she thought about it. She sure as hell didn't want to risk her face showing anything.

Michael ran fingers through his hair as he moved toward her. "Percy is not in the facility. No one can find him and Amanda appears to have taken his office. What the hell happened?" He leaned toward her as he moved to the station beside hers. "Talk to me Alex. What the hell happened?"

She looked at him evenly. "I got the package but it was compromised. Nikita took Kaiken with her. I have no idea what you're talking about with Percy."

His head dropped. "Is there any way she could have survived?"

"Nikita?" Alex's jaw dropped. Michael liked her? Alex wondered if Nikita knew about this.

"Of course Nikita," he ground out.

"She had a tracker. You tell me."

He glared at her for long moments. "I'm not a fool. I know things go bad in the field but you were there. There must have been a moment when you could have... I hold you responsible." He looked like he wanted to say more … or more accurately spit pure snake venom at her but he pushed himself back. Staring at her some more he turned and left.

Alex turned back to the computer. She looked at it blankly for a good long while. Pissing off one of the few quasi white hats in the black hat operation. Not the best thing in the universe.


	18. Chapter 18

Alexandra walked into the office. Her brow rose at the sight of Amanda's desk and chair. Where Percy's desk was about overt superiority, her desk gave the impression that she was a woman of the people and yet... she could crush you like a bug when she felt like it. Amanda was watching her look around. "Pity the walls are glass, you could seriously fuck people over the furniture in here." Alex said smiling.

Amanda slid her fingers along a shelf behind her desk. Blinds lowered. Alex frowned. "On the outside?" she asked.

Turning she saw a gun appear in Amanda's hand. She dove to the side and looked up to see Amanda fire three times into the wall of glass. She smiled and placed her weapon back into the quick-draw mounted under the desk. "Oversight will no doubt be quite unhappy with the cost of that... but I do enjoy a good demonstration." She walked across the room and ran her fingers over the slight craters made by the bullets. "The blinds, Alexandra are between two sheets of bullet proof glass. They were always there though Percy was far too busy trying to work out who wanted to put a dagger in his back to use them." She moved to crouch beside Alex on the floor. Amanda drew a nail down the center of Alex's chest. She purred. "Come now Alexandra, I would hardly be trying to kill you just now."

"I'm still useful." Alex remarked grimly.

"And as long as your nervous system works, pleasurable as well. Now, let's have a seat." Amanda indicated a pair of chairs in front of the desk.

Alexandra slid into the indicated chair and watched Amanda claim her own. Amanda smiled. "How is dear Percy?"

"Well enough."

"And where are you keeping him?" Amanda's smile broadened as Alex remained silent. "A wise precaution. You are certain he is completely isolated?"

"I am."

"And the black boxes that Oversight indicated he was holding?"

"I will be having a discussion with him tonight." Alex leaned back. "I don't want to own Division. Honestly, I would love to see a crater right about where we are sitting but I do feel that you and I have something of a partnership Amanda."

Amanda nodded. "We do. We give, we take." She slid a folded envelope from the pocket of her jacket. "The first name Alexandra. I also have begun laying the groundwork for your emergence from the grave. I do hope that the heir of Zetrov will long continue this partnership to the mutual satisfaction of all parties?"

"We give, we take." Alexandra smiled as she leaned forward to accept the envelope from long well manicured fingernails. "And the bomb in my head?"

"There are a few more arrangements to be made." Amanda held up a hand. "Percy did not want to make it easy for people to leave Division. It will require finesse and you should probably wait until you've got a few days of down time as it will no doubt take a toll."

Alex nodded. "As there is a new sheriff in town, I will keep my head down for the time being. It's in everyone's best interests if I am uninteresting, at least until the big reveal, but while I will agree to do missions Amanda, I want you personally aware I do them as a free agent. You understand my purposes and what I will provide."

"As you understand mine Alexandra." Amanda smiled. "You are an efficient and effective worker Alexandra, I can't wait to see how you work as a partner. I will try to find a juicy little mission to the country of the next on your hit list. Combine your trip, save gas, keep the world guessing."

"Not too juicy."

"Of course not." Amanda stood and drew Alex up with her nail under the younger woman's chin. Alex smiled. "Now that the mutual love fest is over, let's see how this desk works." She slid her hand down to the center of Alex's chest pressing her back to the edge of the desk. She smiled as she flicked a blade into view.

Alex fought down the howling demons inside that screamed this was disloyal to Nikita. She had to play like Nikita was dead and that everything was just as it was. Her eyes followed the blade. "I don't see a closet full of gowns in here, Amanda," she said in a low tone as she arched into the older woman's body behind the slow glide of the blade.

Amanda smiled and flicked away buttons. "You will simply have to borrow my jacket then Alex." Her other hand slid the shirt open. She looked hungrily at the exposed flesh. "No bra today, as I suspected. She pressed the flat of the knife on a nipple.

Alex hissed at the cold metal and pressed her lower half toward the older woman. "Maybe I planned on the desk."

The older woman tossed the knife into the corner and kissed the younger Alex fiercely. "I suppose we have a few minutes." She unbuttoned Alexandra's slacks and massaged her mound through her underwear. "Can't have counted on it or I would have been licking the best parts of you off my fingers already." She grabbed Alex and spun her to face the desk.

Alex lay face down on the desk and closed her eyes. She filled herself with images of Nikita as they made love. She couldn't fuck her lover up by giving less than a command performance. She moaned as Amanda kicked her feet apart after pulling her pants down.

"Time to warm you up Alexandra," she heard just before the explosive impact of Amanda's hand on her ass. She rocked in time with the strikes and pictured Nikita delivering the blows, pictured Nikita selecting the phallus and Nikita fucking her until she cried out again and again against the surface of the desk. She opened her eyes as she felt a hand curving over her ass. "Well done, Alexandra. I worried that the new power structure would change just how … responsive you were." Amanda straightened herself and placed her jacket on the desk top. She moved around to the other side and pulled up her computer. "You should straighten up. You look positively disheveled."

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  lay on a cold cement floor and turned her head to the right as a soft snort caught her attention. She smiled slowly. "Well hello there Percy."

Percy blinked away and tried to turn his head. He found himself bound rigidly in a bit of bondage furniture. He was in a crawling position inches off the floor, thin padded sections keeping him from falling from the heavy welded structure of tubular steel and chrome and leather restraints. Still groggy, he tugged at them failing to disengage the cuffs that kept his hands splayed on the padding between him and the concrete.

"Amanda actually inspired this." Alex tinged a tube with her fingernail. "Chairs with cuffs? Gives a bit of an advantage psychologically... How many movies have you seen where the hero escapes from a bondage frame?" She smirked.

"I have no issue keeping you in an induced coma. The man who raised me? Made sure I would have more than enough money to do just about anything before the bloody massacre was over. Keeping you out of the game? Not a dent. I just thought that maybe we should talk. You maybe tell me about your little black boxes so I can keep life interesting, and I maybe..." she trailed off.

"You let me go?" Percy asked then laughed harshly.

"Ah Percy. I love a cynical bastard. No... I intend to kill you one way or another. Maybe you get an easier death? No. As a cynical bastard you laugh in the face of easy death promises. Maybe... maybe I let you say good bye to loved ones? Nope don't have those either... " She smiled slowly. "I have a radical thought."

"Oh?"

"You think about playing ball with me Percy... I let you kill Amanda before I destroy you." She grinned at the smile that curved the edge of his mouth.

"I'm starving. I'm going to go get a sandwich. You think about it. I have to put you back down for a day while I make some arrangements but then, if you like the deal..."

"I like the deal."

She studied his expression. "You get to personally kill Amanda in return for your boxes."

"Yes."

"Good talk then. I'll grab a voice recorder and we will continue our discussion. Want a bite?"

He grimaced. "I find I don't have much appetite in this position."

"You'd have less if you saw the giant butt thumper attached on the back of this thing. It was a free bonus. I won't use it on you."

"Thank you for that courtesy at least... Alex?"

"Yeah Percy?"

"It wasn't personal."

"Maybe that's what makes this so necessary. My father was my father and you swatted him like a bug, like he never mattered." She shrugged. "Would kill you either way, but this way? Not an ounce of guilt. You've no motives or reasons beyond money to make me feel bad for you. This business is personal now." She got up to get the voice recorder.

 

* * *

**Amanda**  sifted through the file on her desktop as Michael leaned in. "Here, this one."

"And you have a recommendation? Low survivability...low chance of success. Who is it that you are so eager to send to their death Michael?"

Michael frowned. "Alex. I think Alex could pull it off. She's are best and brightest."

Amanda swiveled her chair to look into his face. "Now this is an interesting choice." She turned back to the screen, a half smile curving her lips. "An excellent choice." She looked over again, "But you may not want to advertise the certain death part of the job when you speak to her."

His eyes grew dark. "Of course not. I'll call her in." He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. A slow smile rolled across his face as he pressed in her number.


	19. Chapter 19

Amanda smiled as Alexandra rounded the corner. She crooked her finger. Alex's brow rose as Amanda opened the door to the supply closet. "Like your desk better Amanda." she greeted as she lounged against the wall supporting the mop. She frowned at the smell of bleach water in the bucket.

Amanda closed the door. "You have been a naughty girl Alex." She stood across from the younger woman and watched her face.

"That goes without saying."

The older woman smiled. "Michael has selected you for a mission."

Alex shrugged. "And? The point was I go on missions until its time for the big fanfare announcing my new start."

"Low survivability Alexandra."

Alex whistled. "It wasn't just a chubby he had for Nikita then. He is really pissed at me."

Amanda smiled. "I am as the new head of Division... in a difficult position. I have to indicate business as usual while subtly affecting the culture to reduce resistance to the new..."

Alexandra held up her hands. "Fuck the touchy feely management style crap. You give me the mission and everything I need to do it. I think I have an extra ace or two lying around that will get me though in one piece." She took a breath and cussed quietly for a moment. "You look the other way when I get back though Amanda. I know a couple dogs that are going to adore Michael's nuts on toast."

Amanda looked blissful. "You are a positive delight Alexandra. And if there are difficulties? Perhaps I should hold Percy while you are out."

"I have Percy and shortly his black boxes. You will just have to keep faith in me," Alex offered.

"You should have been dead years ago dearest Alexandra. I have the greatest faith in your determination to destroy the people who tried to destroy you." Amanda smiled

Alex frowned at the idea that maybe Amanda was trying to get her killed to get direct access to her toys. "Let's get my mission file. I have unholy chaos to unleash."

 

* * *

**Nikita**  was cooking up a spicy vegetable stew as her computer chirped for attention. Fenris yawned and stretched before pacing out through the dog door to survey his kingdom. Cerebus yawned and stretched and went back to sleep. He would play later on the many floors of the building. Nikita chuckled and slid into her chair. The shell program was up.

_Have loc. on leverage. Have Percy. Need help not dying at hands of your boyfriend._

Nikita's brow knit. _Boyfriend? How to help?_

_Choc chai latte in hour? Be someone else._

_OMW out X_

Nikita sighed and went to turn off her stew before padding to the rack where she hung a bag containing the clothes and props that defined Emily Trahn.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  walked into the coffee shop and pushed her glasses up with an awkward knuckle. Emily was not her best look, but everything about Emily Trahn was so anti-Nikita that even if someone she knew saw her, they might look right through her. She toddled slightly to the register and ordered before heading to an empty back table. She lifted a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People out of her over-sized handbag and picked at a banana nut muffin while she waited.

Alexandra sat across from her looking at her wide eyed for a moment. "I am deeply impressed."

"Chihiro's creation." Nikita smiled and slid her book to the table. "Now tell me what the hell is going on."

"Did you know Michael was in love with you?"

Nikita frowned. "He never said anything."

"He is pretty mad at me and wants to send me on a suicide mission for not bringing you home." Alex started picking at the same muffin. She laughed as Nikita's hand slapped at her fingers.

"Oh, I can nibble your other muffin but not that one?" Alexandra grinned and sat back sipping from her cup.

Shaking her head Nikita grinned. "So what are we going to do?" She looked up puzzled at Alex's silly smile. "What?"

"You said we."

The older woman nodded. "We. You. Me. What do we do?"

"I have to take out a heavily guarded mucky muck. Thought we could put our heads together to come up with a plan and then... how would you feel about a dangerous mission of your own?"

"I was thinking of going to college to learn underwater basket weaving but I think I can put that off a semester."

Alex smiled. "Great, you get to take on locating the first of Percy's black boxes of blackmail fun."

"Percy told you where it is?"

"Made an offer and he told me the location. He said he detailed a guardian type. It might get rough depending on what the guardian did to keep it safe."

"You get Mission Impossible and I get The Temple of Doom." She frowned at Alex's brow. "What? I have a video rental plan and two friends, both furry to keep me busy."

Alexandra chuckled. "I plan to spend more time with you after we finish our scripts." She grew serious. "All the time in the world." Her hand slid over Nikita's and squeezed.

Nikita smiled before the smile faded slightly and she pulled her hand away subtly looking over her shoulder. "We have to be careful."

Alex cocked her head.

"Daniel," Nikita reminded her.

Alexandra nodded and chugged her drink. "I have to get back soon anyway." She slid a flash drive onto the table which Nikita covered with her muffin paper. "My mission and yours. I will be at the big mall next to the slushy drink place tomorrow before I have to leave. We can talk in the storage off the restroom hall."

"There's a slushy place?"

"There's always a slushy place." She smiled. "I miss you," she said quietly.

Nikita smiled for her. "I miss you too. See you tomorrow then." She picked up her things including the drive and left feeling eyes on her back until she turned the corner.


	20. Chapter 20

Nikita slowly edged forward. The house was one of many in the area. It had the standard alarm sign in the front yard but nothing else whatsoever to indicate that it was the hiding spot of information that could sink a government. She walked carefully over to a house three houses down with a Realtor sign in the yard. Pulling the house information from the tube mounted under the for sale sign she walked toward the obviously empty house.

When she got behind the large brick house, she looked around. Not seeing any eyes, she moved toward the small garage and leapt for the edge of the roof. Settling herself on the shingles she examined her passage. She could stick to the upper back edges of the properties between her and the target house. Leap from this garage to the next tacky one, using it as a platform to get to the roof of the ranch next door.

She decided ringing the front doorbell would be a bullet eating experience. Better to enter from the roof and make her way down to the safe room Percy indicated was in the basement. Why the man planted the first black box in suburbia she would never know. Nikita checked her equipment. There was probably a few layers of security between her and the box, but she was well armed and had more than a few of the latest toys.

Nikita dropped lightly onto the edge of the roof. The rain gutter quietly squealed its displeasure at being under her heel but quieted as she threw herself forward. She edged over the cheap and tacky shingles that defined this cheap and tacky subdivision and made her way toward the peak. She pried loose the exhaust on the roof and ducked her head in. Almost no room, but there soon would be. Anchoring herself, she lowered head first and began cutting one side of the duct. The space between the roof and the first livable floor would probably be stifling and filled with pink insulation. Few of the low end security companies that alarmed the area would bother alarming the drop door from a tiny attic space like this down into the main house. She was soon sliding through the opening and planting her limbs on the support beams that defined the floor area of this space.

"Now the fun part," she whispered. Nikita cracked open the trap door and lowered a tiny mic. She listened intently. There was definitely someone moving around down below. She would have to exercise caution.

She lowered herself onto the top shelf of the linen closet and pressed her hands firmly between the walls to lower herself to the floor. Nikita placed her face against the shag carpet and tried to see under the door. A pair of shining shoes passed the closet and from the sounds, made their way downstairs. She reached up to the knob and turned it slowly.

Nikita moved down the stairs slowly and entered a living area that had been left behind in the eighties. Teal carpet, salmon highlights on the wall, clunky brass mirrors. Nikita frowned and began sliding toward the kitchen where the basement stairs were to be found. Listening as she moved, she heard the back door close and an alarm set. Would she be this lucky? She edged down the stairs. She soon found the bottle of cleaner that Percy had indicated sat on the switch.

A set of shelves swung out revealing walls full of photographs. Her brow knit and she moved forward as she saw one that was familiar. She pulled it down.

"Daniel."

"Percy asked me to take care of him as a favor."

She spun and saw Owen in the corner. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning something?"

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" He stood. "Yet another mess for me to clean." He quickly brought up his weapon.

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  took a deep breath. She and Nikita had eventually hammered out an approach that would work... hopefully. The key to a successful assassination was to keep things as simple and direct as possible... or not. She sighed as she entered her suite. The man on the floor above was an arms dealer who made the biggest mistake of his life by turning on Division an offering information to a sub-committee about black ops. A fatal mistake for anyone brave or stupid enough to try it. Alex frowned. So far, Amanda was operating a lot like Percy. She brightened. It was a damn good thing she was going to let them kill each other.

The security team on the target was good. They were very good. Watchful, well armed. What they didn't have was an expectation for the unexpected. She hummed as she cut the wall near her tub. She laid out a diagram and a penlight. "Hello," she whispered to one of the pipes coming from above. Alex followed it down to where her own tub drain joined it. "And you taking that pretty room at the top? Makes this so much easier. Only one tub on the other end of this," she muttered as she followed the pipe up. Hopping out of the tub she grabbed a pipe wrench.

"Lefty loosy, righty tighty," she muttered. Taking the joint out, she slid in a replacement joint with a small device with a tiny wireless camera on top. Basically it wouldn't show much even under ideal circumstances, but it would show enough. If a shadow fell over the drain of the shower for more than a few seconds, she would trigger the device that would fire off a very toxic dose under heavy pressure. Even if he had a stopper in his hands and the presence of mind to stop the drain, even if the water was already falling from the shower head and toward the drain, and even if he was standing at full height from the blow, he would still have inhaled enough to constrict his throat and lungs and make testifying out of the question forever. The histimine reaction would drop him like a rock.

She wasn't looking forward to clearing the drain of the equipment afterward. She would give them a little time to drag him clear of the tub and then replace the original joint. It would not be pretty. The severity of the reaction would cause the expected like red skin, hives, and of course the angiodema that would close up his respiratory, but it would also cause other even nastier reactions. She took a deep breath and stepped back. Now it was all about the wait.

If this didn't work, she would just have to go in guns blazing and hope for the best. That being exactly what Micheal was hoping for with her suicide mission.


	21. Chapter 21

Nikita sucked in her breath as Owen leveled his gun. She frowned as she heard a noise above. "Owen honey, I am ordering Thai." She heard the sound of keys dropping into a dish. She looked at Owen who slammed his hand against a switch causing the room's door to swing shut, cutting off sound.

"You killed Daniel for them, and here you are doing the same thing," she said not knowing why she felt so betrayed. This is what Division did.

Owen shook his head. "She is not a part of this." He picked up a phone and speed dialed as he kept her in his sights. His face grew puzzled. "Where's Percy?" Snapping his phone shut, he held it tight.

"There's been a coup Owen. Percy doesn't call the shots."

"Why are you here?" he asked agitated.

"Because the only chance any of us have to live free..." she looked up to the ceiling, " to love free is to destroy Percy's legacy, all of it." She took a half step forward.

He took half a step back. "Where's Percy? He's not dead."

"He's alive, but not for long. His chickens are home to roost Owen." She decided to take a chance. "Amanda picked up his private line, didn't she? How long do you think it will take for her to get here and destroy everything, destroy everyone Owen. Your loyalty is now a huge question mark in her mind and that woman upstairs ordering Thai will pay for it."

His eyes darted up and then back. "I have to disappear, like you."

"Yes. Take her with. Find a way to take her with or Amanda will fuck her up to hurt you."

"Like Percy ordered Daniel dead to control you."

"Yes." She looked around. "I swear on Daniel that I will make the black box unusable. I swear that I will rip the fangs out of Division. I swear I will help you run. Help me. Give me the box Owen."

"I killed Daniel, why wouldn't you sell me out?"

"You killed Daniel, but not my knowledge that there is something better beyond Division. You know its true. We have to stop Division. We have to destroy it and walk away from the crater, otherwise, we will be trapped by it forever."

Owen nodded. He lowered his weapon. "She's my life. Percy would have killed her in a heartbeat if he had known." He motioned to a safe. Percy's first black box and his black hole cash reserve." He moved toward it. "I'll give you the box and about a quarter of the funds. I need the rest to get us away."

"I don't need money."

He looked at her. "You will to get the other boxes."

She looked puzzled. "Just how many are there?"

 

* * *

**Alex**  cursed quietly as she realized what she was seeing through the narrow gap around the stopper. She managed to take out a pair of guards who were trying to kill a bug the target had seen in his shower. Hard way it is. She grabbed a long tool and stethoscope and moved back into the hall. She placed the stethoscope against the elevator and knew the vibrations were people making haste for the elevator. She thumped the tool in and began cranking on it to push the doors on her floor apart. The sweat beaded on her forehead as she cranked fast and hard.

Alex almost missed the elevator dropping. She leapt forward through the opening, the tool clattering to the ground beyond the shutting doors. She yanked up the trap and started firing into the car. Bullets whizzed past her and one creased her upper arm. Biting her lip she fired three more times into the car just before the elevator slowed to brake at the lobby. She began the process of climbing the shaft for a way out just as the screaming began below.

She eventually managed to move to a maintenance shaft long enough to tie a bit of her shirt around her upper arm. Alex prayed that Nikita was having a better day. She looked around. The cops would be covering the shaft soon.

She made her way to her room and cleaned up the room and her arm the best she could. Looking around, she knew it would not be enough to keep her under the radar. Alex set a charge against the pipes at the point where they moved between floors. Maybe the blast would keep them too busy to notice. She retied the headscarf she wore as she checked in and threw on her sunglasses. She walked calmly to the stairs and left as the building shook.

Alex pulled out her vibrating phone. "What?" she snarled.

"Bad day?" Nikita asked in an amused tone.

"You have no idea. How did your retrieval go?" Alex shook her head and moderated her tone.

"The guardian was the guy that killed Daniel," Nikita offered quietly.

"You kill him?"

There was a long silence. "He was the hand, but someone else was the one responsible, Alex. It was his job, just like you did yours today. That was Michael's call, not yours." She prayed Alex would start thinking about it.

Alex shook her head. "So what did you do to him?"

"I told him I wanted to be the maid of honor and then I sent him on his way with enough money to disappear."

"You think he will? If he doesn't, you're exposed." Alex was worried now. Nikita's soft heart would get her killed for real.

"He had personal loyalty to Percy. Amanda in charge shortens his life expectancy anyway. He has every reason not to look back."

"Let's hope he doesn't."

"Aw, would you miss me?" Nikita's lips spread in a happy smile.

"I would miss you forever," Alex responded quietly. "I love you Nikita."

Nikita blinked. "I love you too Alex." She shook her head. Alex needed to go back with her head in the game. "Now go kick Michael's ass."

Alex chuckled. "Yes ma'am." She closed the phone with a smile. She looked at her shoulder with a frown. The blood was starting to seep. Time for a little sewing before play.


	22. Chapter 22

Alexandra walked toward the gym with a grim look on her face. Amanda's brow rose as she smiled through the bullet proof glass of her office on the upper floor. She withdrew lowering the blinds as she went, though she put up a training room view on her laptop. Official eyes were one thing.

Alex saw a recruit scurrying for the mess hall where others were being fed prior to getting their asses kicked some more. She snagged the teen and pulled her to the side. "Find Michael and tell him to get to the gym."

"Why?" the bewildered girl asked.

"Because if you don't, I will snap your head clean off. Now go."

The recruit bolted. Michael soon strolled in. "Alex... I want to apologize."

"Fuck you Michael," she replied calmly. Alex started removing her jacket and dropped it to the edge of the mat.

"I was wrong. I wanted to hurt you for something you couldn't stop. I heard the audio. I know Percy-"

"Fuck Percy and fuck your good guy bullshit. You are just as bad as Percy and Amanda. Worse. You pretend to be about the higher good." She moved to the center of the mat. Her fists curled and she dropped to a fighting stance. "Now get on the mat or I will come after you and you really don't want that."

Michael nodded as he pulled off his coat. "You deserve this." He moved to the mat and circled. "I do believe in the higher good. " He grunted as the first left caught his chin. His hands went up to fend off another pair of blows. "I just lost it. Nikita was... special."

"She was just another asset to flush like the rest of us," Alexandra snarled and redoubled her blows. Michael stayed defensive, putting all his energy into turning her aside, not hurting her.

Alex grew angrier. "Fight damn it!"

Michael shook his head, then ducked as her foot flew up. "I'm sorry." His hand shot out to grab her ankle and pushed forward, putting her off balance. She fell to the mat. Smashing her fists into the floor, she pushed back up. "I don't want anyone flushed Alex."

"Sure could have fooled me." She threw a fist into his ribs taking dark satisfaction in the explosive exhalation. He blocked her follow up.

"I mean it."

Alexandra stepped back to Michael's surprise. Her brow knitted. He did. He meant it. He really was a quasi white hat in all this bull. She took another step back. Alex looked up at the office. She grabbed her coat and left the gym, Michael still standing center floor.

Amanda's brows rose. Alex was being unpredictable it seemed. That could be an issue. She leaned her chin on her hand. How to put things back on an even keel...

 

* * *

**Nikita**  stared at the black box as Cerebus began army crawling toward her with the ball. Her eyes darted toward the former guard dog and she laughed. "Didn't you used to be a bad ass?" Her head swiveled as Fenris began barking outside. She slid her gun from the table top and moved to a window. She half smiled. Even dressed in a disguise like a guy and wearing a chest binder, Nikita knew that body. "Fenris back," she barked. Alex let herself in through the fence and began moving toward the building. She pulled a dog treat out and dropped it when Fenris kept his nose to her leg.

Alexandra slid into the room and dropped another K9 treat for Cerebus. "These guys are spoiled."

"And who is spoiling them?" Nikita asked as she put her gun back down and opened her arms. Alex moved into her arms and sighed happy as she melted against the older woman. Nikita ran fingers through her hair. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know." Alex barked out a laugh. "I had a simple plan for revenge. Kill 'em all. Blow up Division. Nothing seems simple today." She buried her face in Nikita's neck.

"Wanna talk about it?" Nikita asked quietly.

Alexandra shook her head and nuzzled Nikita's neck. "Occupied," she said muffled by the other woman's skin.

Nikita hummed and exposed her neck further. Alex smiled and scraped teeth on her exquisite throat. Her lips traveled up to capture the older woman's. She nipped lightly. "Mine," she asserted and reclaimed those lips.

Nikita pulled back and looked into Alex's eyes. "Yours," she said smiling.

The younger woman took her hand and led her to the bed. It was large and beautifully appointed. Nikita had reasoned that if she was going to enjoy sleeping better after leaving Division, she would do it in style. She smiled as she pushed Alex to the mattress. Alexandra fell back with a smile which only grew as Nikita straddled her.

"You came disguised as a man to visit..." Nikita mused as her hand slid down Alex's body. "Does that mean you came packing?" Her fingers brushed over Alex's mound. "Oh yes you did." She leaned forward and kissed Alex swallowing her moan at the sensations caused by the intimate pat down.

Alex smiled and untied Nikita's robe. She pushed it back off the other woman's shoulders as Nikita kissed her throat. The younger woman rolled Nikita to the bed. Nipping and kissing down the column of the other woman's throat and down to her breast, Alexandra paused at a nipple. She pulled at it with her teeth, before rolling her tongue over it. Nikita groaned.

Sliding her fingers down, Alex soon found that Nikita was already wet. She smiled and moved her mouth slowly down Nikita's body. She deeply inhaled the other woman's scent before kissing her inner thighs. Nikita's hands in her hair drew her up even as she lowered her zipper. The older woman's leg wrapped over her hip. Alexandra kissed Nikita as she pressed the strap on into the other woman. Nikita's head fell back and Alex marked her throat as she slowly pressed forward. She soon drew back and began a slow rhythm that Alex hoped would draw her lover's pleasure out a very, very long time.


	23. Chapter 23

Alexandra sat up and stretched. Nikita's hand slid up the spine of her lover. She sat up to kiss Alex's shoulder. She smiled at the younger woman's low chuckle. Pulling Alex back she settled her among the pillows. Alex slid her hand over Nikita's breast. Nikita took her hand and put it over Alex's head. She drew up the other wrist. The younger woman's eyes looked up to the crossed wrists. "You think you can keep me here?" she asked smiling.

Nikita reached down and pulled the robe belt, binding her lover's wrists to the headboard. "You may be Alex the Avenger out there, but here, you are mine to do with as I will." She pronounced firmly. She slid back down to straddle Alex at the waist.

Alex leaned up as far as her wrist would allow. "I'm yours."

Nikita kissed her. "Now its my turn to make you scream." She smiled and ran her fingers down Alex's body.

Alexandra hissed as Nikita's fingers brushed along her slit and over her sensitive clit. “Please,” she begged quietly. She couldn't believe how ready she was to be touched by the goddess above her. 

 Nikita touched the wet fingers to her tongue and closed her eyes as she took in the flavor of her lover. “Please what?”

 Alex raised herself under Nikita. Her eyes were heavy with arousal. “Please fuck me Nikita.”

 “Barely touched you and you are already pleading... Oh Alex, I have such plans for you.” Nikita smiled ferally. "Your body... your everything is mine, Alex."

 Alexandra groaned as fingers entered her. Her legs fell away and her hips lifted opening her to Nikita's touch. “Nikita, please.” 

 Nikita added a finger to the ones already sliding through her lover's wetness. “So hot, so wet for me. We're going to take this slow so I can fill you right, baby girl.”

 Alex wanted nothing more than to belong to Nikita in every way. She opened as fingers slid through over and over and increased. Nikita's thumb rolled into her palm and slid into Alex who cried out not in pain, but in pleasure at being full of her lover who curled her fingers into a fist and moved gently in her. Alex arched, weaving fingers almost desperately in the sweaty hair of her lover.

 Alex felt like lightning when her orgasm ripped through her. “God Nikita,” she shouted.

 Nikita withdrew slowly as Alexandra slowly came down. She kissed her collarbone and tasted the sweat there before sliding her lips to Alex's.

 

* * *

**Hours** of passion left them exhausted, they curled together in silence for a long while, Nikita hesitantly broaching the subject she had been dreading. "So...what happened?" she asked as her fingers slid slowly down Alex's side. "You know..with everything."

Alex buried her face in a pillow briefly. "I helped Amanda get Percy's chair. I plan to fix that, but I am stuck wondering if destroying Division will make things better."

"What?" Nikita shook her head and sat up. "I have so many whats here, its not even funny."

"If we take down Division in a blaze of glory, what's to stop the rise of a black ops program to put Divison to shame? What if we put a true believer in charge? I think Michael could... I hate this, I am thinking of saving the organization that murdered my father." Alexandra folded her face into her hands.

Nikita slowly drew her hand down Alex's shoulder. "Maybe your father doesn't need a trail of blood Alex, maybe he just needs things changed, made better." It was hard to see her lover so conflicted.

Alex shook her head as she stared at her hands."He needs Semak dead and the assassin dead and soon Amanda will give me both... Then I can finish up with Division one way or another."

Nikita looked down. "Alex I need to tell you... wait, what does Amanda get out of this?" Her eyes flashed angrily as she looked up.

"I have a deal with Amanda... She gives me the names, I hand her Division." Alex slid to the edge of the bed and looked around for clothes.

Nikita's eyes narrowed. "Something is missing here, Alex." Her jaw came up. "What else?"

Alexandra looked up. "I let her... She wanted..." She chewed her lip trying to find the words.

The older woman stood up and walked out of the bedroom. "You're whoring yourself to that bitch?" she asked in a hurt voice as she heard Alex come up behind her.

"I'm not a whore," Alex barked. "I let her think she's in charge but I am not hers... I'm yours."

Nikita whirled. "You let her do what to you?" Nikita ground out.

"She is into bondage and masochism. I let her have her fantasies...but I love you. What she does, its nothing. I love you." Alex was pleading for Nikita to hear her.

Nikita looked at her with a dark look around the tears that wouldn't fall. "I love you too Alex, but I think you need to leave. I have to think." She walked to the door, the sun from the upper windows highlighting her naked form.

Alex took a hesitant step. "Nikita."

"Please Alex, just dress and go. Talk to me tomorrow but... please Alex...just leave now." Nikita went to the far side of the room and put her forehead to the wall.

Alex quietly slipped into her clothes and slipped away.

 

* * *

**Amanda**  was waiting as she came in. "Walk with me Alex."

Alex groaned. "It's been a long day Amanda. Can we skip to it?"

The older woman turned and smiled. "Of course Alex. How goes the hunt?"

"One box down."

Amanda's brow rose. "Who do you have helping you?"

Alex smiled. "Seriously? You don't think I am capable?"

"I know you're capable and apparently putting a lot of miles on your frequent flyer card." Amanda smiled. She hesitated and looked away a moment. "Semak is making a public appearance... I thought you would like to go see your next target."

A feral smile curved Alex's lips. "I would love to make an impact in his life."

"Don't get caught Alex." Amanda slid close and touched Alexandra's stomach. "Hate to see the heir of Zetrov in prison before she can inherit."

Alex tried to keep her stomach from twitching under those fingers. Any lust beneath the surface was buried in a mountain of guilt. She regretted telling Nikita about it now. "I won't let either of us down Amanda."

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  stood in the rain as she stared at the hotel. Tomorrow Semak would be in front of the press to tell the world about the next big thing courtesy of Zetrov. She sneered and pointed a finger gun-style at the hotel before walking along the well lit street. She stuffed her fingers into the wool jacket and looked through the store windows.

She debated calling Nikita to try to bounce ideas on how to do this with minimum damage but she knew Nikita was still pretty hot. Alex frowned. She really screwed the pooch on this one. She needed Amanda to press her revenge plans forward, but she needed Nikita like air. When this was over she was going to make things right with the other woman whatever it took. Amanda wasn't worth anymore of her energies.

She stopped in her tracks and eyes narrowed, she began cursing quietly. Amanda gets what she wants if she went to jail. Amanda swoops in as hero and Alex goes back to being chained in the basement unless she plays ball. "You alerted Semak, didn't you?" she ground out. She smiled grimly. "You want to play? Let's play." She sneered and jumped down some stairs to move toward the industrial area where the speech would take place.

Clean. She needed to keep her hands clean. She pictured herself with a rifle and a nice clean... she shook her head at that. Amanda would roll it on her, sure as shit. She tried to work out possible other ways to take him out. She smiled. Alex just needed him to die at the press conference with plenty of witnesses that didn't see her as a killer. She could work with that.


	24. Chapter 24

Semak's advance team had a bunch of locals build a small stage and wire a whole set of theatrical lights and silkscreened panels of the company logo. 'Alexander' brushed his cheek with the back of his hand further smearing the dirt, sweat and grime on his cheek. Taking a deep breath compressed by the chest binder he grabbed a set of wires being fed through a section of PVC the construction crew was using to keep the wiring out of the shallow puddles and mud that were the ground under the stage. Other crew members were rolling out artificial turf for the press so no one would ruin beautiful shoes listening to Semak speak. Alex moved the wires to run along the pipes at the back. Alexandra in her guise of Alexander tightened ties at intervals.

She had stood for an hour getting this look right. Alex's fingers surreptiously checked one of her fake brows and a sideburn. She needed to be there for the event without being memorably her. Even in the new Russia, you tended to see men on construction. This was the front line and the scout mission. As a man, she would never be seen for herself.

All this work was giving her very few ideas. Alex needed to think. She cocked her head as she saw a young woman talking to Semak's right hand man. He wasn't talking to her breasts. The secretary was dressed in an outfit that said success and slut wear all at the same time and he was... Alex signaled to the foreman she was taking a break.

The secretary walked away tapping frantically at a palmtop. The right hand man was turning slowly taking in the work.

"Good."Alexander asserted quietly as he walked nearby, just a smidge too nearby.

"Excuse me?"

"The work is good. The uprights are stable despite the mud. Only the best for you and the big boss." Alex smiled and turned to stand next to the suited man. The delicate sneer said Vlad didn't like Alexander's dirtiness. Alex turned. "I clean up well too... boss." Alex delivered in a low seductive tone before 'he' winked and walked toward a truck on the edge of the press conference area.

Vlad looked around and followed casually. He soon moved around the corner to find Alexander sipping at a coffee from a battered thermos. He plucked the red plastic cover from Alex's fingers and he sipped at the coffee himself. "You do very good work."

"I give my all for you and the big boss," Alex said standing up from where she leaned on the truck and stepping close.

Vlad's earlier smile of disdain grew warmer. "What will you do after the work..." He hesitated looking for a name.

"Alexander." Alex took a long slow look at the other man. "I will leave shortly to get cleaned up and come back and try to get close enough to see you up there."

Vlad curled a hand and used a knuckle to brush a bit of mud from Alex's cheek. He smiled even as she suppressed the slight shudder. The games she played for the things she needed. "There is a greeting queue. You can help glad hand us up to the stage and stay close where I can see you too... Alexander."

Alex ran fingers down Vlad's arm to take the cup back. Sipping Alex looked at Vlad appraisingly. "Promising start to a long night... boss." Alex took a step back. "Time to get changed."

"Need help?" Vlad asked with a smile.

"The big man will be looking for you. I'll be back soon enough. Look what I have to look forward to." Alex winked and screwed the cap on the thermos. She tossed it into the garbage as she left the job site. Somebody would no doubt miss it, but it wouldn't be her.

 

* * *

**Alexander**  had a wonderful place in the queue. It was close to the stage and and she got to shake every hand on the way up. Vlad's fingers curled at her wrist as he passed. Her off hand came up to a two handed grip of the big boss. She shook Semak's hand with great enthusiasm, before pulling to the back of the crowd. She rubbed her wrist, starting the process of rolling up the thin latex on the palm of the off hand. She lifted her chin to Vlad as he stood to deliver his opening address. The quick absorb chemical that had coated the latex from her palm was already working into Semak's bloodstream.

The latex was soon lost in the muddy puddles at the edge of the glad handing Zetrov family area. Alex joined the rush forward as Semak clutched at his chest. Paramedics called. Chaos ensued. Vlad dragged Alex back a few steps. "I have to go to the hospital with him."

Alex grabbed his arm. "Take care of him boss."

Vlad smiled gratefully and left. Alex soon strolled away feeling the satisfaction of a job well done. As she walked, Alexandra thought about what she had done...

The drug triggered a severe heart attack. It wouldn't kill right off the bat but the severity would keep everyone too busy to analyze for a drug that broke down way too fast. The scarring and weakness of the heart after the attack, well, that would certainly be an open door to a second attack and death. If all else failed, who would notice a janitor with an air bubble in a syringe. She was ready for a plan B if necessary, but that was highly unlikely to be needed.

Alex's thoughts soon moved to Amanda. It was deeply unlikely she could make something up that would tie Alex to the assassination. Possible but unlikely. She could check that off her list of concerns. The only thing she wanted to do now was make things right between her and Nikita.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  took the information about the next black box and bought her plane tickets. This was so ugly on so many levels. Alex and Amanda fucking. Alex put Amanda in the Chair. Alex and Amanda fucking. She knew Alex.. in her heart, she knew Alex loved her. Everything was so screwed up and how much more screwed up could this get before things got clear. How was this going to work if she loved Alexandra and couldn't look at her? Nikita was deeply confused.

She stepped off the plane and pulled her case after her slowly. Nikita walked toward customs. A bored officer sat in the cube and barely looked at her passport. "Business or pleasure and duration?" he barked.

"A week and purely pleasure," Nikita chirped with a smile knuckling at her heavy glasses.

The officer's dark eyes bounced up briefly before returning to his screen. A few minutes, a little pawing of her undergarments and she was soon on her way.

Nikita grinned as a woman joined her at the base of the escalator and walked with her. "Upper parking," Chihiro offered with a twirl of the keys on her fingers.

"Thought you didn't like camera heavy places."

Chihiro tapped her glasses. "Camera catches the tiny light in the frames instead of my face. Still hate 'em, but now its a more convenient hate. So why am I here?"

"I can do the job I'm here for alone... I just need some...girl talk."

"Girl talk about my girl Alex." Chihiro surmised.

"She is putting me up a wall," Nikita confessed.

Chihiro chuckled. "Kind of her specialty. Let's do your job then we go to a nice hotel, get completely hammered and then, then we can interrogate one another about Alex."

Nikita looked over at the Japanese woman. "No karaoke."

"I said hammered, not mildly drunk. I don't intend to know which way is up." Chihiro opened a car door. "I'll get in less trouble if Alex finds out I am gossiping about her."

Nikita's brows went up. A mini cooper. Chihiro shrugged and got in on the other side. "Going low profile." She started the tiny car and blasted out of the parking garage smiling at Nikita's delighted laugh.

 

* * *

**Amanda**  looked over at Alex. The younger woman was sitting in a chair as Amanda paced the office. "You killed him didn't you?"

Alex shrugged. "He had a heart attack. Last I checked I wasn't God."

"You're trying to be cute about this?" Amanda drew in a noisy breath. "You have been a bit... unpredictable of late. I think its time to get to know what is really going on in that pretty little head of yours." She nodded as Birkhoff appeared in the door with some equipment. "Hook Alex up."

"What the hell?" Alex asked as she half stood. Amanda pressed her back down.

"Lie detector Alexandra. The truth will set you free."

"And if I lie?" Alex replied with a raised brow.

"I would not want to ruin a perfectly good working partnership... though I will make you regret lies."

Birkhoff hesitated as he hooked Alexandra up. "Hurry up Birkhoff, can't keep Amanda waiting for her pain," Alex joked. He finished quickly and stood up. Amanda did a shoo hand gesture sending him running.


	25. Chapter 25

Nikita sat with her legs crossed on the hood of the Cooper. She nibbled her lip. "Seriously, this is going to suck."

Chihiro passed her a hot cup of tea and sat beside her. She looked up at the tower stabbing at the sky. "I think this is going to be a shit job with a side of two fucks and a damn." She looked over at the older woman staring at her. "What? Tell me I'm wrong. The security system learns from intruders so going anywhere near a door or an elevator is going to land you in the shit eventually. We could drop from the roof, but that is still ten floors too high and no guarantee we could get back up to the helicopter we don't have in the first place."

"Lobby is fine one way but the moment we crack into the biocontainmnet floor where this Guardian asshat secured the black box thingie and try to get it out past the doors..."

Nikita tilted her head. "We don't have to smuggle it out. As long as we render it useless, its a win."

"So no smuggling." Chihiro leaned back onto the windshield. She immediately sat up. "Ew tell me I didn't put my new shirt in bug guts." She struggled to pull her shirt forward enough to check before catching Nikita's thoughtful expression. "What?"

Nikita hopped down. "I have an idea but its going to mean more bug guts, a little out running and maybe a little flying."

"Thought we established we don't have a fucking helo." Chihiro's eyes narrowed as Nikita's smile broadened. "Oh fuck. I shoulda known Alex would fall for someone more fucked in the head than she is... What the fuck. It's Friday and I want to deserve my drinking binge. Let's do it!"

 

* * *

 

Nikita got the phone number for the building's front desk as they traveled up the side of the building on a window washer platform. Chihiro got out the fire extinguisher, as Nikita pressed in the phone number. "Hello," Nikita began. "Yes. I am up on 39th and I am having a problem with my key card in the lab lock... No... It just doesn't read... No... I know there is no sign of entrance in the last fifteen minutes. My. Card. Is. Not. Reading. Just get your security guy up here to spit in the damn thing or whatever they do to make it read... Right then." She pressed the button and slid the phone back into her pocket. "Two minutes til the security guys will be in front of the lock. Ready?"

Chihiro stopped the platform in front of an empty office. She began spraying the extinguisher on the corner. "Little known fact, the center of the window is actually able to withstand more cause its flexible. The CO2 will make the shatter in the corner even more fun." Nikita pulled a metal rod and smashed the corner of the window and drew the rod down for a second hit closer tothe middle. She leaped into the office. Chihiro remained behind on the platform, weapon drawn.

 

* * *

 

Nikita ran down the long hall, people shouted in alarm as she pushed back. She threw her rod at the security guy who ducked just as she powered into him, smashing them both onto the floor. Nikita smashed her fist into his face and snagged his badge throwing herself at the lock. Sliding the the security badge she got entrance and pulled containment cell 213. Frozen in a block of ice was a black box. This was one dramatic guardian, she thought. She threw herself behind a lab table as bullets flew into the lab area. A scientist screamed. "Don't fire in here!" Nikita reached into a cabinet and broke the gas pipe placing the box next to it. She slid down to the corner and spotted a security officer helping the first up. She ran at them and threw herself down sliding toward the door.

A well placed kick on the fly took out a knee to the left and her momentum sent her close enough to punch the guy on the right. "Grenade," she yelled in warning as she rolled it back in toward the lab. The scientist and the two security guards were pushing their way out. Nikita got halfway to the platform before the first explosion. She fell into the wall. Pushing upright she ran at the hole in the window and Chihiro. The Japanese woman stood on the edge of the platform and tossed a pack at the fleeing Nikita before leaping off the building. Nikita hurriedly fastened the pack as she ran for the edge and flew herself.

Nikita free fell for what seemed forever before triggering her pack. She and Chihiro aimed their base jumping parachutes at the top of the nearby parking structure. She pulled in the chute and shoved it into the trunk with Chihiro's. "I was thinking subtle, but that, that was fun."

Chihiro laughed hard. "Fucking A. Why be a ninja when I can be a bird?" She started the car and pulled it to the street just as police cars began converging on the general area of the parking structure.

"Time for some liquor and some girl talk."

"Awww no time to randomly blow shit up?"

"Chihiro..." Nikita trailed warningly.

"Damn. Alex was always up for blowing shit up. You're no fun." Chihiro pouted and pulled up in front of their hotel.

 

* * *

**Hours**  later saw them on the bed drinking and talking. Chihiro shook her head. "Damn Alex... See the girl, she is grey. Good, bad, its relative. Everything is seen through the lens of her goals oriented ass. She is a dumb ass to mess up with you but she is a genuine dumb ass. She may not have known just how bad this would have been with you." She tipped up her minibar vodka. "Weak shit, these little bottles."

Nikita shook her head and passed another bottle. "I love her. I am trying to remember she is all about the plan but its hard... Maybe too hard. Amanda, queen of the damned. What the hell was she thinking?"

Chihiro frowned. "You two, you got love. Thats something right there. Don't let her go. Just... take a little time. Let her work her shit out. Take time to work your shit out..."

Nikita hesitated but she knew Chihiro was one of the trustworthy ones when she wasn't trying to kill her trade partners. Part of the sisterhood of honorable spies and assassins. "There's something else."

Chihiro groaned. "Tell me you didn't fuck this Amanda chick too."

"No."

"Good."

"I killed her father." Nikita whispered before drinking down another mini bottle.

"Shit."

"Yeah, shit."

Chihiro tossed the rest of the bottles in the wastebasket. "We are going to need a whole fuckload of drunk tonight. Let's go sunshine."

Nikita nodded and got up to follow.


	26. Chapter 26

Amanda sat across from Alexandra and turned on the laptop tied to the lie detector. She watched it for a few moments. "This is not doing wonders for the partnership," she heard from Alex.

Amanda sighed. "I received a pair of calls recently to Percy's direct line. I picked up and the calls dropped. They may be confidential informants, but having sent a team to the source of the first call? It turned up a safe room. Was this where the black box was kept?"

Alex realized she was talking about the room Nikita mentioned in Montreal where the first box lived. Second call? Nikita must have gone for box number two. Alex needed to be truthful as far as she went. Amanda couldn't know the whole truth. Nikita was counting on her.

"Yes."

Amanda's brow rose as she looked at the laptop. "Stressed but true." She looked at the younger woman. "And the second call? Was that for a black box?"

"I don't know."

Amanda's eyes narrowed. "You have someone working with you, don't you?"

Alex watched her silently. Amanda knew there had to be someone, but she also had to know that she was not going to get a free shot at whoever it was. Alex would not be handing out leverage like candy at Halloween.

"What did you do with Percy?"

Alex smiled. "I have him on ice until the big finish."

"And what is the big finish Alexandra?"

Alexandra smiled bigger.

"You are not being forthcoming." Amanda slid back in her chair. "There will be a press conference tomorrow. You will be announcing that you were sold to the sex trade when your father died but in the wake of the death of the man who did it, you are stepping forward to claim your rightful place." Her eyes bounced to the laptop. Her brow rose. "That is quite a bit of stress Alexandra."

She tore at the sensors. "You want what I can give you with the black boxes and Zetrov. I took Percy off your hands and you treat me like a criminal. Fuck you Amanda." She stood and stalked toward the door. She hit the door face first as Amanda slammed her head into it, closing the door.

Amanda leaned into the slightly dazed Alex. "I would say I would hate to have to hurt you Alex, but we would both know that isn't true." She slammed Alex's head against the door again and pulled her hard sending her flying to the floor.

Amanda took off her shoes and dropped them casually to the floor. "You offer many benefits as a ... let's use the term free agent. Not precisely true, but then what is?" She slammed her heel into Alexandra's lower back as the younger woman started to move across the floor. "You are nevertheless, mine. " She took one of the lie detector wires and wrapped Alex's wrists. Alex tried to move away but cried out as the heel struck her back again.

Amanda smiled and stood. "The first time I striped you, it was about art and about pleasure. This time I think will be about business. You will have to tell me what you think of the difference." She took out a police baton and smiled down at the younger woman. " I would like answers Alexandra. We have about six hours before I have to prepare you to meet your public... Let's talk."

 

* * *

**"You**  know that she is gonna end up with a gun to your head, one way or another right?" Chihiro was finally starting to slur slightly after having challenged a local bully boy to drink her under the table to prove he was man enough for her. He was snoring under a table nearby as they stood to walk to the bench outside. Nikita helped Chihiro up.

"I know," Nikita replied sadly.

"Alex can be a hardcore bitch and a dumb ass about certain things, but her brain kicks in...you know? Keep her going till then and you two will be licky, licky, fucky, fucky in no time." Chihiro giggled as Nikita sat them both down. "You do have a way with words, Chihiro...especially when you're loaded." Nikita laughed at the other girl. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. "Fresh air. It so kills a buzz." Chihiro smiled and wrapped an arm around Nikita's shoulders. "Alex is my sister and I like you even with your whole save the world and don't eat cows and chickens bull shit. Matter of fact, just thinking about it makes me crave a steak...anyway... If Alex is my sister, let's make you... third cousin twice removed. " Chihiro wagged her finger. "No incest for my favorite people." Chihiro grinned and squeezed Nikita under her arm. She leaned into Nikita's ear. "We have company."

Nikita's jaw tightened, she took a deep breath and stood. "Let's get you home." She patted her jacket pockets as if looking for keys. The woman watching them from the darkness stepped forward into the light.

"The infamous Nikita," came the crisp tones. "You do realize you're dead right?"

Chihiro stood and moved to the right a few paces. "You do realize everyone says that to her right?" She snorted. "Spies. No originality."

Nikita shot her a look. "You're a spy."

Chihiro shrugged. "I am a karaoke superstar by night." She raised her gun. "Please introduce yourself."

The tall thin blond moved closer. She held her hands out. "The Guardian here was a little unstable. Percy sent me to retrieve the box and become the new Guardian about a month ago. I had just finished dealing with Brandon when you two tore through my retrieval process."

"It took you a month to plan?" Chihiiro shook her head. "What it take you Nikita, five minutes?"

"My plan involved not letting the whole planet know there was something worth stealing," the blond snarled. "I want my black box Nikita. Now."

Chihiro and Nikita both began laughing. Chihiro leaned against a post to catch her breath.

The blond's face darkened further. "You blew it up?" Her gun flew up and fired, sending Nikita flying into Chihiro knocking them both out of the pool of light. They pulled back into the alley as the blond stalked after them.

"We can't let her tell anyone about you," Chihiro whispered as Nikita moved them further back. She looked into Nikita's face. "Want me to do it?"

Nikita shook her head grimly. "I'm not retired yet. This one is mine. Head back to the hotel and sober up."

Chihiro caught her sleeve. "I'm in for the rest of the boxes too, hero. Haven't had this much fun in fucking forever." She winked and jogged for the far end of the alley.


	27. Chapter 27

The woman fired at Nikita. The assassin grabbed a metal lid and threw it hard at her. The Guardian moved swiftly so it only brushed her instead of taking her out. Nikita used the distraction to rush the blonde. The Guardian saw her coming in the last moments and tried to kick her in the stomach to keep her well back. Nikita let the leg move past her and pulled at it, throwing the blonde off balance. They fell to the ground and fought for the silenced weapon. Two thwat sounds later, the alley was still. The assassin stood.

Nikita looked down at her feet where the Guardian lay. She was not fond of the killing. It was unfortunately a huge part of the life she had found herself living and she was damned good at it but it didn't make it anymore like-able. She crouched down and patted the corpse down pocketing her wallet and keys. She pulled off the woman's gold ring and ran her fingers over it. Was it even real? Did the Guardian have a commitment elsewhere? Someone who would be waiting at home for her? Probably not. That would be against Percy's rules, but then, Owen had broken his rule when he fell in love with Emily. She tried not to think about the possibilities of the blond assassin leaving someone behind. Nikita sighed and looked one more time. Nothing else a mugger might take. Now it was just a matter of dragging her out of sight so that she hopefully wouldn't be found until she and Chihiro were well clear of London.

She hoped Alexandra was doing better than she was right now. She sighed, slightly depressed. Alex fucked Amanda. Alex wanted to kill her for her part in her father's death, even if she didn't know it yet. Chihiro's drunken foul mouthed Jiminy Cricket optimism aside, it was really starting to stack up against them. Nikita dumped the body in the garbage bin with regret and moved down the alley to the next street over before walking back to the car. She needed the air.

 

* * *

**Alex**  tried desperately to suck in air. Amanda had struck hard driving the air from her lungs. "Now Alexandra, I have been quite easy with you for the last hour. You have a big day, and coverup make-up only minimizes luggage under your eyes, so you probably want a little nap and a chance to freshen up."

"We have a deal," she pushed out. She struggled to get upright against the chair.

"True," Amanda admitted, "I did agree to give you your head in return for the things you could give me, but I find myself worrying about your allegiances." She smiled and sat across from Alexandra who was bound to a chair of her own. "I don't like to worry Alexandra, it causes lines." She pointed to her forehead. "Right here." She smiled winningly. "It's time to renegotiate I think."

"How about if I just cut Percy loose and we can start fresh?" Alex growled as she tried to move her fingers in new and more interesting ways trying to get out of her bonds.

Amanda chuckled. "Why don't you just tell me about your help on the outside and then we will move forward."

Alexandra worked out the time it would take to race to where she had Percy, kill him, watch the government collapse under the weight of its own secrets and frowned. Her frown suddenly became a smile when she thought about what Percy would do to this mega bitch. She looked up. "I was tied to the Russian mafia for years Amanda, I know people who would kill for a twinkie and a coffee mug of vodka."

"Those people are unlikely to have the touch necessary to retrieve something that our paranoid friend Percy had hidden." She frowned. "And how did you get the dear boy to tell you where to go? Truth drugs? Torture?" She smiled. "Purely professional interest."

Alex couldn't help it, she wanted to see Amanda's face. "Told him I would get him a cage match with you Amanda." She smiled engagingly.

Amanda's face went still for several long moments before she began to laugh. "Just when I think you couldn't delight me more Alexandra. Truly a woman after my own heart." She stood and stepped forward to crouch at eye level. "Nikita," she said quietly.

Alex tried to still her face. From the look on Amanda's face, she didn't quite succeed. Amanda slid her fingers down Alexandra's cheek. "It's okay Alex... I encouraged Michael to send you on that suicide mission. We cannot trust one another. At least we are honest in that." She smiled. "You still have something to give me, and I still have a name to give you." She rucked up her skirt slightly and slid a knee onto the chair beside Alex, before bringing up the other, straddling Alex's lap. Amanda ground slightly as her arms went around Alexandra's neck. "We are a match made in hell and we could burn the world away, you and I."

Alex didn't want to catch hell from Nikita again but she had a feeling Amanda would be more pliable if she kept up as her playmate. She closed her eyes and tried to think around Amanda's perfume and the fingers twisting her nipples.

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  frowned as Nikita came in. "You look like fucking shit." She took a deep breath. "And smell like that fucking alley. Get in the shower." She pulled the phone closer. "What's the next leg?" she shouted as the water started.

Nikita leaned her forehead on the tile for long moments after she undressed and slipped into the shower. Her emotions began to hit her like a tidal wave. Chihiro leaned against the wall next to the sliding shower door. "Nikita?" she asked quietly. She eeped as Nikita dragged her into the shower fully clothed and started sobbing into her neck. Chihiro got over her surprise and wrapped her arms around the wet naked woman. She prayed they would run out of hot water and cooed and stroked Nikita's back. Kind of hard to think lady like thoughts when there was an armload of sexy goodness right there, but she was trying with all her might for the sake of her two best friends.


	28. Chapter 28

Nikita groaned and opened her eyes. They felt all nasty and burnt. She realized that Chihiro was kneeling beside her like a girl on Christmas morning, all excitement in her tank-top and nothing else. "So you ARE gonna make me breakfast in bed right? I was so fucking good."

Nikita pressed her eyes. "Why are- What?"

Chihiro laughed. "Me in a shower with a naked... let's be fucking frank here... sex pot. We had a hell of a night and I so totally deserve breakfast in bed."

Nikita lifted the sheet. "I'm naked."

"Yes." Chihiro's smile widened. She bounced a little.

She cracked her eye at Chihiro. "You're mostly naked."

"Yes." Chihiro smiled broadly and opening her arms - landed on Nikita in a cuddly hug. "Sexy and master of the obvious."

Nikita shot upright and looked down at Chihiro with wide open eyes. "Did we? We didn't... Oh God." Nikita dropped her face in her hands and tried to remember the night before.

Chihiro rolled to her back and roared with laughter. Nikita looked over at her, the assassin's eyes narrowing. "We didn't have sex," she stated emphatically.

"After you pinning me with your naked ass, don't think I didn't have nasty thoughts. I wanted to rawr, take a bite or three. I'm not a fucking saint..but I would never do that to you and Alex." Chihiro continued giggling as Nikita lay down beside her.

"No. You're not a fucking saint Chihiro. You are the best kind of friend." Nikita lunged forward to wrap the other woman in a warm hug.

Chihiro hugged back stiffly. She whispered, "Your nipple is poking me. I get to poke back right?"

Nikita laughed and pushed Chihiro off the bed. "No, but you do get to get yourself dressed so I can take you to breakfast before we fly...and Chihiro...thank you for not going ' _there'_  when I was...well..you know."

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  smoothed the silk shirt over her abdomen. She moved closer to the mirror and examined her forehead. The makeup had minimized the bruising Amanda had caused. She sighed. The older woman had an amazing power to wear her the hell out. She looked at her watch.

Amanda sat across from her in the car she hired to take them to the press conference. She wouldn't be joining the crowds, she enjoyed her shadows far too much, but the kingmaker would be damned if she wasn't enjoying her moment nearby. She sat back and sipped from a bottle of water as she smiled. "You have so much potential Alexandra. Pity you will be public property shortly."

Alex snorted. She was going to wait til she had what she needed out of this little arrangement, and then she was going to sell the whole fucking empire. Zetrov was her father's legacy, but he never actually asked if it was something she wanted. She was very clear. After this was all done, she would sell the business, pull teeth out of Division if she didn't decide to go with Plan A, blowing it to hell, and put Percy and Amanda in a room with sharp implements so they could play with one another.

She smiled at Amanda. "I like being all spy like. Just because I can have gold plated everything now, that doesn't change the fact that there are things that need doing." She played spy games for Zatarra. The end of Zatarra was coming. While Dantes retirement to the sea had its draw, she had seen too much of what crawled in the dark underbelly of the world to completely leave her spy life behind.

Amanda raised her glass with a smile. "Well said." She smiled as she looked out the window to see the venue where the press conference was to be held.

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  grabbed Nikita's wrist. Nikita looked where Chihiro's chin jerked. "Alex?" The monitor hung in the airport lounge beside a monitor indicating departures. She felt herself grow cold at the sight of Alexandra in front of all those flashing cameras and microphones. Their business was dangerous enough without her becoming a public face. She wanted to scream at everyone in the airport to shut them up so she could hear this.

Chihiro swore softly. "Zetrov heir found?" she read off the news feed at the bottom of the screen. She shook her head. "She has gone completely fucking mental."

Nikita pinched her nose. A headache was coming on now. "I don't think this was her idea."

Chihiro looked between Nikita and the screen. "Fuck me. The Queen of Darkness set this up? Why would Alex go along with it?"

Nikita snorted. "She is still holding my name over Alex's head for starters and I think we have established Alex would do anything for it." She shrugged. "And I would bet Alex is still stringing Amanda along."

Chihiro shook her head. "Alex wouldn't... maybe Alex would do that to get her revenge but how the hell does this serve the Bitch Queen?"

Nikita stared at the news feed on the monitor beside the departure boards. "I have way too many thoughts about that. None good." Her fingers moved through her hair as she frowned at the image of her lover a million miles away.

The younger woman drew Nikita to the side out of the airport traffic. "Alex is out of her depth here, isn't she?"

Nikita stared at her for long moments. "Amanda is... She might be...yes."

Chihiro pointed to herself. "Best friend." She pointed to Nikita. "Girlfriend when she is in her right mind." She shrugged. "What do we do about this shit?"

Nikita shook her head. "I don't know."

The younger woman looked away a moment. She looked back fiercely. "She won't go too far while the black boxes are in play. That gives us a little time to come up with a plan."

Nikita smiled. "Fuckin' A."

Chihiro punched her shoulder. "Bout fucking time I started rubbing off on you. Let's kick some ass so we can wrap up in time to kick some ass." Grabbing the boarding passes from Nikita she led the way to the gate. Nikita chewed her lip. They needed a plan ... and they needed it now.


	29. Chapter 29

Alexandra woke up in her apartment and frowned as a shadow moved. Her weapon was out without a second thought. Amanda smiled. "You are nothing if not gifted in your chosen field dear Alexandra."

"I'm pretty sure that I did not invite you to breakfast," Alex growled as she rolled off the bed and moved toward the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker.

"I need your pull at Zetrov."

"Too fucking early in the morning to call in favors, Amanda." Alex wondered if she could just put her head up under the drip or if she had an iv bag somewhere around. She couldn't get enough caffeine fast enough. She startled at Amanda's nails gliding down her flesh.

Amanda pressed into her back. "You turned me down for sex the last time Alexandra, consider this salve for my bruised ego."

Alex closed her eyes tight. "Fine," she ground out. "I'll head into Division in an hour. Good enough?"

She honestly didn't think Amanda's ego COULD bruise, but if it got her out of the kitchen before really naughty touching got started, she would go along. She sighed as Amanda smiled and smacked her ass before striding out of her apartment. "First thing, change the locks," she began grumpily. Maybe she'd stop somewhere on the way in and try to get some good news on the missing black boxes.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  waved as the old man and his grandson left in their battered pick up. She smiled at the wagging tails on either side of her. Chihiro shook her head. "Dogs. How did I not see you would have a mini-menagerie when I found out you were a don't hurt the chickens type?"

Nikita chuckled. "This is Fenris and the other is Cerebus. Boys, go lie down." She shooed them into the building.

"Nice place, you get a discount for it being fucking condemnable?"

Nikita came back out and hit her shoulder, "Be nice, this is our super secret headquarters."

Chihiro smiled at the other woman. "We are going to make it safe for you to love Alex, babe."

The older woman's lip wobbled slightly. She didn't resist as Chihiro pulled her into a tight hug. "Everything's going to be fine Nikita," she whispered. "You will have Alex and chicken coops and little deer with slings and shit in no time."

Nikita squeezed and kissed Chihiro's cheek. "How did I make it this long without a friend," she whispered. She buried her face in the other woman's neck for a long moment, soul deep grateful to Alex for giving her love and a wonderful friend.

"Fuck knows," Chihiro responded.

 

* * *

**Alexandra's**  eyes narrowed as Chihiro and Nikita held each other near the front door of the old building that Nikita called home. They wouldn't. Would they? Why not? They were both wonderful, how could they not fall for each other instead of the fucked up revenge driven Zatarra. Rage and grief swelled as she turned on her heel and went back around the corner where she had parked her car.

Amanda looked up and smiled as Alex rounded the door frame and came into the office. She pushed the door closed and moved to the shelf, pressing the blinds button. Amanda watched her, brow upraised as the younger woman approached. Alexandra tangled fingers in Amanda's hair and pulled her head back. "Time to work on a different power paradigm." She kissed fiercely as she straddled Amanda in the chair.

She massaged Amanda's breast and nipped her way to the shell of Amanda's ear. She groaned as Amanda's fingers strongly massaged her ass. Alex bit the other woman's lip as her hips rocked against her. The older woman groaned as Alexandra's mouth moved down - her teeth pressing into her throat. "I could get used to that," she purred.

Alexandra pulled back. "Don't. I will kill you. I just intend to enjoy the ride til then," Alex growled and reached into the drawer to pull out some cuffs.

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  frowned. Nikita watched her face as they stood leaning over the table. "What?"

"We do this, you're taking pictures."

"Why?" Nikita was puzzled.

"I will definitely need photographic evidence that I was a fucking rocket scientist." Chihiro grinned.

Nikita chuckled. "Your father'd be so proud."

"He'd shit a brick." She leaned back and paced. "When do we start?"

"Up for it now?" Nikita jangled her keys.

Chihiro howled as their tiny Honda passed a sports car. She laughed and looked over at Nikita who was trying not to blink and thus miss the near misses along the way. "Why the fuck would a black box be in a lunar sample vault anyway?"

"Division has robbed bank vaults around the world. The King of Paranoia, Percy probably thought it would be a good idea to keep a couple in safe deposit boxes, but then hid others in other secure locations that wouldn't immediately spring to mind."

"Like a vault for billion dollar wheat hybrids or a rock bank. Smart. A prick, but smart." Chihiro slammed the brakes and skidded the car onto an exit. "Goddamn. I hate fucking Texas. Hot ass air that actually tastes like dirt."

Nikita chuckled. "Next one is in Virginia, just outside DC."

"Mmmm. Hot air that takes like hot air courtesy of all those politicians." Chihiro slammed the brakes again as they came up on the check station. She smiled. "Hello sailor."

The young man with a clipboard frowned. "I am a soldier ma'am. Identification please."

Nikita passed over their cards. "We called about doing albedo testing in the Return Sample Vault."

The soldier went down his list. "Ah yes." He leaned in and gave back the IDs. "You are cleared to the Lunar Sample facility Doctor." He looked at Chihiro stonily. Drive...slowly... down this road. There will be posts with arrows to follow."

Chihiro accelerated like a bat out of hell as soon as the post went up. Nikita laughed. "You know you should play cool. There's a Guardian around here somewhere."

"And you think that shrimpy Napoleon is him." Chihiro looked her askew almost missing a turn but shrieking tires and a bit of flying turf got them back on track.

Nikita walked down the hall of the sample lab. Chihiro had gotten buttonholed by a Japanese scientist in the lobby. She pulled on clean room garments and gloves and entered the lab. She looked over at a monitor at his station. "I would like to access lot 1723a, please." The monitor smiled and nodded. He lifted his hand to indicate a side room. She walked toward it to hit the floor hard. She heard a gun.

Rolling quickly to the side she shot her foot up to smash the Guardian's knee. He staggered two steps to the side sending the gun spinning and she pushed up. She kicked to be blocked and returned a block on his punch. Throwing himself to the side he tried to reach the gun under the metal table. She yanked the back of his neck hard to hit his head into the metal with a ring sound. She dragged him toward the side room. Chihiro came in.

Nikita waved her in. "Son of a bitch," Chihiro barked. "Why do you get all the fun?"

Nikita's eyes rolled. "Just get the box and let's get the hell out of here."


	30. Chapter 30

Alexandra ran her fingers down the sweat slick back of Amanda. Her eyes were half closed in pleasure at the other woman strapped to a bed frame. While the older woman did not immediately embrace not being in charge, she certainly seemed to be coming to terms. The younger woman raked her nails down Amanda's back. "You are such a slut Amanda." She was nearly purring. The struggle she had getting Amanda to lay down her attitude and her need for control had been exhilarating. She was enjoying this.

"Yes," Amanda breathed out. Her back arched to keep contact with the sharp pleasure over her skin. Her wrists were reddened by her struggle against the cuffs. She felt so wet and every inch of her skin was sensitive beyond belief. She groaned as fingers brushed from her ass to her clit.

"You are wet and ready for me." Alex fingers moved over Amanda's slit again gathering moisture. Alexandra slowly licked it from her fingers, savoring the flavor.

"Please," Amanda begged. She rocked the best she could against the other woman's feather touch.

Alex slapped Amanda's ass again leaving a red hand print. "You will have to do better than that," Alex growled. Her fingers slicked down to lightly pinch Amanda's clit. She jumped lightly in her thick leather bindings. "Oh God. Alexandra. Please, please fuck me." Her eyes were closed tight.

Alexandra smiled. She loved the sound of that. Tightening the straps on her dildo, she ripped the ankle bindings loose and got Amanda in position. She would use her tonight. Maybe she could make her pain dull or at least get to the point where she didn't give a shit. "I am gonna fuck you until you beg me to stop."

Amanda groaned from the center of her being as Alex plunged into her. She rocked hard against the younger woman and kept up with the brutal pace that Alexandra demanded of her.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  frowned and paced back and forth across the loft. Her fingers stroked through her dark silky hair as her bare feet moved swiftly across the floor. Cerebus and Fenris kept pace with her for the first few rounds but soon retired to the futon to lay, their heads swinging back and forth with her constant motion. Chihiro watched from an overstuffed chair. "How overdue is she?" She was bundled in a fleece jacket and under a throw. She loved Nikita dearly but her tastes in places to live was just fucking drafty. Kick ass lairs were one thing, freezing her ass off was another.

Nikita shook her head. "We don't have set times, its safer that way, but I just..." She took a deep breath not knowing how to put it into words.

"You have a feeling." Chihiro dropped her fleece jacket on the chair and moved in closer. "Tell me."

Nikita nodded at the younger woman. "Maybe its nothing..." She stared at the door like Alex was just going to walk on through it at any moment. Why the hell was she not contacting Nikita? It was starting to freak her out. She had expected something more than a day ago.

Chihiro snorted. "Do you have a way to contact her?" Nikita raised an eye brow at the mooing slippers as she moved across the floor to her little desk. Cow slippers? Really? She smiled. What the fuck. It was Chihiro after all. She knew the younger girl had to have been crazy drunk to buy them. She sighed. Chihiro pushed one of the dining chairs over to the side of Nikita's.

Nikita sat the computer and opened her file. "I didn't want to use the shell program any more than I have to. Sooner or later, someone will see it." She finally got up the little box where tiny little super secret messages lived.

"Just give a shout see if she shouts back." Chihiro sat next to her. "We have enough shit to deal with, all those black boxes. I don't want to have to move up the riding in on a white horse shit... either way we need to know where Alex is."

Nikita tapped open the shell program.

_R u there?_

She chewed her lip. "Odds are good that she won't see this for a day. If then." Please let her answer, repeated over and over in Nikita's head.

Chihiro leaned back and stretched. "Fucking Alex is starting to piss me off." She sat upright as Nikita gasped. "What?"

"Someone else is in the program."

"Shut the fucker down!" Chihiro stood and paced back and forth behind the other woman with a frown.

Nikita was still her fingers poised over the mouse button to click the shell back into hiding but then the message... She read it over.

_If u r here to shut D down. Count me in._

She typed in. _Who?_ The response came back.

 _Who else but your one and only favorite nerd of all time... Shadow walker._ Nikita laughed. He was her favorite nerd of all time. Too bad she couldn't tell him it was her that he was communicating with now. 

 _Contact again in two days. S_ he responded. Only one person could evoke that much geek with one vague statement.

"Why two days and who is it?" The younger woman was frowning darkly. She stomped over to regain her fleece jacket and slung it on.

Nikita turned with a smile. "His name is Birkhoff. He is completely unsuited to lying so this might be straight up, but two days gives us forty eight hours to find out. Either Alex contacts us before then, or we sic him on her."

Chihiro nodded. "Buys me two days to work on my bad ass attack on the Fortress of Evil thing." She kissed her bicep muscle. "You said the next was in the neighborhood?"

Nikita nodded and swiveled back to the desk to pull up a map program. "Let's see what we're up against."

 

* * *

**Birkhoff**  chewed at the corner of his thumb. He wanted to throw a tracker on the shell program to find out who was on the other end, but it could red flag the program in Division's server. He wanted out. He'd wanted out for years. He salted savings away that he hacked from the Government's own accounts for years. He set himself up a nice new life with millions on the outside. Birkhoff wasn't a hero, but Nikita didn't need to die. Dozens of others before didn't need to die either. He was tired of watching Percy destroy everyone he cared about. He always secretly had a crush on Nikita, her death was the final straw for him.

Alexandra walked through the tech area toward her locker. She was pleasantly sore but she still needed to hit something. She nodded a greeting at Birkhoff. She stopped as she realized he was a million miles away. "Birkhoff." She stomped. "Birkhoff."

He looked up. "What?" The computer geek slowly focused.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked with genuine concern. She had a quiet kind of fondness for the guy. She would never admit it but she always imagined having a little brother, and with her luck, this is how he would have turned out.

The computer expert shrugged. He couldn't trust her with the truth. He couldn't trust anyone. He smiled up at her. "Just trying to figure out if I can date a girl who likes Next Gen better than Deep Space."

Alexandra pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Why the hell do I ask?" Alex continued on toward her boxing gloves. He watched her leave and looked back at his computer. Two days to work out ninja computing. He was gonna be a hero, at least til the bullets started flying.


	31. Chapter 31

Alexandra frowned as her plane touched down. Zetrov heir. The new shoes she was in now were just not comfortable. She did not want to be photographed like some minor royalty or Hollywood starlet. She had developed a taste for shadows and Alexandra Udinov felt like just another cover to her. This would be the first time that she had returned home since it all happened.

She had to do this, she had to appear to want this. All she really wanted... was in the arms of her best friend. She deserved this. She deserved to lose the love of her life to someone as great as Chihiro. Alex blinked back tears and stood as the door of the airplane was opened. A new day, a new life.

A short time later, she found her way to her new/old home and stepped out of the stretch limo. A chill hit her as she stared at the Udinov estate for the first time in years. The board of Zetrov had already arrived and was no doubt noshing on the buffet she ordered for the dining room and speculating what the young heiress wanted. She smiled darkly. No doubt there were those who felt they could cuddle up to her right from the start to gain a kind of regency while she sunbathed and gambled and did whatever else heiresses did these days.

She blinked. "Annika?" The woman was years older and her face worn with care but this was the woman who had saved her all those years ago.

Annika smiled. "Alexandra. When I learned you were coming home, I asked to be hired here again."

Alex opened her mouth to speak but instead threw her arms around the former upstairs maid. She still smelled of peppermint and lavender and Alex's lips slid into a wide smile. The smile faltered as other sense memories filled her but she pushed away the metallic smell of remembered blood to take joy in the knowledge that Annika was still here.

Alexandra pulled back and pulled Annika's hand through her crooked elbow before walking to the front door. "You aren't still an upstairs maid are you?"

Annika laughed. "No miss. These days I am Housekeeper. The only ones here who outrank me are you and the Butler."

"Pffff we can get rid of him if he gives you any trouble." Alex smiled broadly. Annika was to proud not to work. Otherwise, Alexandra would have set her up somewhere with maids of her own. "So I imagine there are wolves in the dining room," she said quietly.

"Voracious ones my dear Alexandra. Their assistants are in the kitchen gossiping. I hope Fedya taught you how to take command of a room."

Alexandra frowned. She missed Fedya. He did teach her a lot. She forced a smile for Annika. "I hypnotize with my breasts and then hit them with a two by four until they are mine to command."

Annika slapped Alex's arm lightly. "You are so bad. Fedya is a good man deep down, but a terrible influence." She chuckled.

Alex looked around the foyer as they walked in. She grew still and sad. "Annika, you know I can't live here."

Annika smiled tremulously. "I know Alexandra. This was your home, and it is convenient to claim it for a time. I will be proud to be a part of it until you find your permanent home. I know though, that blood may be washed away from a floor, it never really cleans itself from the heart. This is a wonderland of a home but blood makes it an unbearable nightmare."

Alex smiled. "Lead me to the wolves Annika."

Alexandra sat at the head of the table nursing a glass of wine. The meal had been delicious and she was actually having a bit of fun watching power players trying to get the upper hand with tactics from familiarity to verbal bludgeoning. She cleared her throat.

She smiled and stood. "Gentlemen. You have already guess that I am not interested in running Zetrov day to day. I am however still in charge here. I will eventually relinquish all claim on this little empire, but not today gentlemen."

There was a hum around the table. She took a deep breath. "We will maintain the current structure. Anything of company wide importance will be prioritized and sent to me." She turned to the right. "I want research and development budgets and outlines before I leave Russia again."

The elderly man nodded. "Yes Miss Udinov." Alex smiled fondly at him. The only one at the table who hadn't made a run at her and the only one who safeguarded anything of interest.

"Let's convene to the library for coffee and brandy and we'll finish our discussion."

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  sat in the car. She frowned. "Get away driver sucks."

"I'll get you one of those hand held games next time," came over her ear bud from Nikita.

"Bullshit. I am on deck next." Chihiro leaned her head back. She reached into the seat next to her and started chewing on a hamburger. She picked a chunk of fallen meat off her shirt and popped it in her mouth.

"What's that sound?" came over the com.

"Me communing with with a cow. Mmmmmm." Chihiro grinned. "What's taking so long?"

Nikita smiled at the bank manager. "I have checked dozens of vaults a month this way and only rarely flag a box." She slowly walked down a wall of safe deposit boxes waving a strange device. She looked at the screen. "Hmmmm."

"Hmmm?" The bank manager tensed. "What hmmmm?"

"I'm reading high density explosive material in this section. It's faint but... " She circled the scanner slowly.

"What does that mean?" the suddenly pale manager stammered.

She looked at him. "It means a bomb or something hidden by a bomber. Terrorism, Sir. Do you have any terrorists opening boxes at this branch?" She put her hand on his arm. "This is what I trained for Mr. Donnelly. We will open the door. We can be certain that it is safe... Once the door opens, I want you to get upstairs. The walls are reinforced in here, if there is a problem it will be contained."

They opened the outer door. She nodded. "Go."

The frightened bank manager obeyed instantly, running up the stairs as fast as he could. She followed minutes later. He was twisting his hands. "Well?"

"Money, lots of it. Its been exposed to explosives. I need a name and number so the Patriot Act can do its thing."

"Of course." He flipped through the cards. Pulling one he handed to her. "I would never allow..."

"Of course not. No one is accusing you...yet. We are the United States Government, Sir. We always get the bad guy ... Justice will take its course. Now, lock the money back in Mr. Donnelly. If this is a terror circle, we may use it as bait."

"Thank you thank you." He ran back downstairs. She smiled and stifled a laugh. "Now should we even bother to pay a visit to..." she looked at the card. "Mr. Smith." She rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

Chihiro laughed. "How often was he coming in?"

"Once every two weeks. Last visit Tuesday."

"Leave him." Nikita strode out to the car. "We got bigger fish to fry."

"Damn. You need to buy me a drink then if I don't even get to hit anyone today."

"Done. Let's roll."


	32. Chapter 32

Chihiro frowned as she watched the international news channel "Seriously. Alex, I love you but this is a lame ass plan. You're being such a dumb ass."

Nikita slapped her shoulder. "That's my girlfriend you're bitching about." She passed over the popcorn. "What has she done now?"

"Oh, she apparently went back to Mother Russia and made like a princess before setting up a closed door meeting with the Zetrov board." She leaned back and put her feet on the edge of the coffee table. "No one is talking, but apparently she left a few of the board short some balls."

Nikita hesitated. "She doesn't want Zetrov." She frowned. "Amanda would want Zetrov." She shook her head and planted her feet next to Chihiro's. "I don't like this."

Chihiro grabbed the remote and turned the Television channel to a movie she could sing to. "We don't have to like it unfortunately. We just have to deal. She has a plan. Alex always has a plan." Her popcorn stopped halfway to her mouth. "Amanda doesn't know me." Her face grew thoughtful and Nikita followed her thought to its conclusion.

Nikita smiled at the other woman. "It would get you out from underfoot on the next box." She chuckled and stole the popcorn from her friend's hand.

"Heeey. Not cool." Chihiro stole Nikita's drink. "You take time to work with the shadow walker or whatever, I find out what is wrong with our girl's brain, we meet up after for the black box. Deal?"

"Deal."

 

* * *

 **Alexandra**  scanned through file after file of research and development projects. About half of them were money suctioning devices out of various players in the company. She sicced forensic accountants on those immediately. She would sell her father's legacy eventually, but she would be damned if some smarter-than-thou pencil pusher would suck up the money she could reroute to pension accounts for the actual loyal members of the Zetrov family.

She looked toward the door. The former assistant to Semak came in with barely a knock. He had definitely seen a resemblance to a certain construction worker, based on the way his brow creased when he met her, but apparently he had moved past that. "Ms. Udinov. There is a Kyeung Cho here to see you."

Alexandra frowned. "Does she have an appointment?"

He took in a breath. "She says she has a standing appointment with you about aquiring a rare Japanese sword."

Alex smiled. "Send her in, hold all my calls and make anybody else scheduled wait... I do not wish to be disturbed."

"But-"

She held up her hand. "It'll be good for their souls. They can learn some patience." She stood as an Asian woman in thick glasses and far too many layers hobbled in. The assistant closed the door behind her.

"Hello Kaiken." Alex showed her to a chair in a small casual set near her desk. The two women slowly sank into the deeply overstuffed chairs, Chihiro sighing as she kicked off her rather uncomfortable chunky heels.

Chihiro wiggled two fingers over her head. She smiled as Alex mimed stepping on a bug. "Hello dumb ass," she greeted.

"What the fuck did I do now?" Alex asked frowning. Chihiro was the one who needed to be on the defense, not her. She apparently missed something here.

"Hello? CNN? BBC? You dumb ass motherfucker. How the hell did you think being a spy was going to work after that? Oh and dumb ass again for worrying your girl."

Alex shook her head. "You seem to be comforting her just fine and hello, Bruce Wayne?"

"Bruce- Bruce? Seriously you flake, you do not have his abs or his basket, so let's climb right off the fantasy land express and …. what the fuck? Are you? Did you just...? Oh hell no. Stand up." Chihiro popped out of her chair and kicked her shoes to the side before curling her fists and moving forward toward Alex.

"What?" Now Alexandra was really confused.

"Stand up so I can kick your ass." Chihiro pushed out from behind her teeth.

"Your ass is the one that needs to be kicked. You had to know how I felt about her." Alex was starting to get really angry now.

The Japanese woman barked a laugh. "I'm not fucking her. She is in love with your inconsistent, whacked out ass!"

Alexandra deflated just before the fist caught her chin sending her right back into her chair. She slowly rubbed her jaw. "Ow. Learning to put hips into the punch I see." she groused.

"Oh hell no. I should hit you again. I am your friend, Alex. You think I'd scam on your girl?"

Alexandra threw out her arms. "You were at the safe house and you were all cuddly."

"I cuddled you too after Helina." Chihiro took off her glasses and leaned over Alex. "Something is way off with you. What's really going on here, Alex?" she ground out.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  opened the shell.  _You there?_

_Yes. Hid the program better. We can talk more. Can we dismantle D?_

"That's the plan," Nikita muttered _. Yes. One on outside, one on inside... and you._

_Tell me what to do._

_I need to know current status of everything. What is Amanda up to?_

Birkhoff frowned.  _I have overview, will leave in a museum locker for you tomorrow. Why aren't you getting from your inside person?_

_On a mission._

He could understand that. Despite hating Division, he still needed to do the job or he would be permanently retired _. Will leave locker number here after I drop it. What do I call you?_

Nikita smiled. Birkhoff was a safe guy, she knew that in her heart but she also knew he would fold if someone stepped on his toes.  _Call me Mercedes._


	33. Chapter 33

Nikita slowly pushed up her glasses with her knuckle. They were a pain in the ass but she loved that once people saw the dated thick frames their eyes rarely looked elsewhere. She stood in the lobby plucking at her coat as if in indecision. Watching Birkhoff she frowned. He was looking everywhere like a scared little rabbit before he tucked the flash drive into a locker. He literally stuffed his hands in his pockets and started whistling as he walked away. "Nice job. Another few seconds of that and everyone would have called Homeland Security about a suspicious individual," she muttered under her breath. Stuffing her leather coat in the locker she pocketed the flash drive and moved to the information counter. Heading out immediately after retrieval following the Nerd's example of subtle would be suspicious. She'd sit, look around, then head out.

"Excuse me," she said nasally as she pressed her glasses up again.

"Yes ma'am," the guard smiled and tucked away his crossword. "How can I help you, Ma'am?"

"The sign says I need to mention cameras? I have a webcam on my laptop but I need to do an Anthro paper on one of the exhibits and I need to make some notes. Will it be a problem?"

"No ma'am. We are concerned with people selling pictures. Doing your homework is something museums everywhere encourage." He smiled winningly.

She responded with a shy smile of her own. "Thank you sir." She reshouldered her laptop bag and moved to the Central American marketplace exhibit. The figures of people buying and selling fruit off blankets as monkeys huddled on crumbling walls was the closest thing to life in this remote corner of the vast museum. She settled on a bench nearby and fired up her computer.

Nikita frowned as she scrolled through files. She intended to do an overview so that she knew what to read in depth but there was a lot here. There were big holes, would those be filled by black boxes? Percy had become a persona non grata at Division. People didn't dare talk about him. The wicked witch had been busy too. There was a heavy queue of jobs and a lot of ultra secure communications going on. There were already too many questions and not enough answers. Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Yes?"

"Nikita, its me."

Nikita smiled softly at the sound of Alexandra's voice. "Are you okay?"

"Now that Chihiro has beat it into me that you two aren't fucking? Yeah. OW! What the hell was that for?"

Nikita laughed. "Tell her to give you one for me."

"Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, for what I have done with Amanda. I knew it was stupid to go there with her, Nikita. I knew it was stupid every time I did it. I just thought it would get me where I needed to go. I love you..only you... I want to be worthy of you."

Smiling Nikita switched ears as she watched a kid gawk at the exhibit for about three seconds before dragging at his mother whining about dinosaurs. "I love you too. We'll call it a learning experience."

"I did learn some things. Including the fact that I like kink if you are...you know, looking for a birthday present for me. Oh, and Amanda is looking for a deep research project she thinks is running out of Zetrov. Haven't found it but I still have a week. She might be disappointed though."

"Good she needs a brick wall or two. Preferably dropped on her."

"Oh Mreow." The cell phone came away from Alex's mouth to the tune of "Ow. Wha- Stop." Nikita barked a laugh as she heard slappy sounds come through the line.

"Hey girl."

"Thanks for talking to her."

"Anytime. It'll take a day to get back then we can get back to work on the boxes."

Nikita frowned at her computer. "About that... I may have another project for you." Chihiro was definitely going to want to kick her ass next.

Chihiro cursed in Japanese. "I'm not doing any of that stakeout - get away driver shit am I?"

"No. Definitely not."

"Oh good. What am I doing?"

Nikita cringed. "I want you acquire and protect the Nerd."

"Motherfucker!" exploded from her phone. "What the fuck do I do with a dorkburger with cheese? I think if you know how many costumes Seven of Nine wore, and I am sure this guy does, the world would be a better place if someone ran you over, backed up and ran you over again."

"Chihiro, we need him. Take him to a karaoke bar. You may end up finding common ground. Keep him safe until we can get him situated."

"You fucking owe me," Chihiro ground out.

"I'll let you beat people up all you want after he's secure."

"You better. And there better be liquor."

As she hung up Chihiro frowned at Alexandra covering a smile. "Har de fucking har har to you too." she snarled. She looked at her watch. "I have to get going. I have a flight back."

"You do, but not the one you think."

Chihiro's brows rose. "What now?"

Alex leaned back against her desk. "I will send you back in the Zetrov company jet, but first, I want you to meet someone."

"Who?"

"Percy. I want tape to get back to Amanda that Percy is still alive and kicking and that he is feeding me information that can put the bitch on her back." Alexandra shrugged. "Won't matter in the end. I won't play subtle. Clobber her, drop the two of them in a cage with sharp objects, shoot the winner. Its nice plan, but always pays if the black hat is too busy looking for tells and little clues about the slow game to watch for the aluminum bat."

"Damn Alex. World is going to go all sunshine and ponies shitting rainbows when you retire from the revenge business." Chihiro shook her head. "Booze in the limo?"

Alexandra smiled. "Even got those airplane nuts you like." She wrapped an arm around Chihiro and they picked up her scattered shoes on the way out of the office.

 

* * *

**"Hello**  Alexandra." Percy smiled at her companion. "Company?" He moved slowly in the clear cube trapped in a larger cube of peeling institutional paints surveying the new player to the game.

"Hello Percy. Percy, Kaiken. Kaiken, Percy." Alex walked around the circumference of the room slowly as Chihiro set up a pair of bright lights. The lights washed the man out slightly in his orange jumpsuit and slippers, but this was not a filming of the Miss Universe competition so Chihiro shrugged and leaned against the vaguely greenish wall.

His brows went up. "You're taking a chance letting me see her, Alex."

Alexandra's fingers trailed over the heavy polycarbonate walls that separated the two of them. "You being in a fishbowl and waiting for your cage match?" She sighed. "It limits the number of people you could describe her to."

A smile creased his face. "True enough." He sat on the padded shelf that served as a bed. "So what brings you to me today Alex."

"What would bring me any day Percy. A deal." She smiled and stopped. "You are isolated. The men who bring you food? They aren't interested in your amusement. I pay them obscene amounts of money to keep you in a fishbowl, feed you and make sure you don't hang yourself, though I know better than think you would. Nothing but food goes in with you. Your mind is probably cannibalizing just a bit at this point from lack of anything better. I offer something better."

"Interesting. And what would constitute something better?"

"Your choice. An ebook reader with a simple verbal command code attached, of course to the outside of the bowl..."

"Of course," Percy smiled.

"Fine literature of the ages. Or I can have newpapers taped to one wall of your bowl on a regular basis."

"Or..." he prompted.

"Or guards turn on a tv set to one particular channel when they come in the morning to drop your food bricks and off in the evening when they come again."

Percy nodded slowly as if in thought. "And what in return?"

"We tape you talking to me about something that makes Amanda think that we are colluding and running a long con on her."

"How do you intend to get it to her?"

"Analyzing the possibilities Percy?" Alexandra smiled and leaned into the glass.

He stood and leaned on it from the other side. He smiled slyly. "Up the offer. I want something other than food bricks."

She shrugged. "Your meal slot to mess up I suppose. Steak cut in portions to avoid any nasty... plumbing issues." She jerked her head at the toilet. "French fries, and a hand held apple pie."

Percy smiled. "I love a woman who thinks big. Let's chat..."

Alex jerked her chin at Chihiro who turned on the camera and moved back and forth with the small handheld.

 

* * *

 

Chihiro paced beside her as they left the iso ward of the long abandoned hospital. Only sharp eyes would catch the overwhelming net of security on the place. "What makes you think that the bitch is going to bite?"

Alexandra smiled at her best friend. "If we leaked it? Nothing. We are going make her pay cash for it. That will make it a more serious thought piece."

Chihiro brightened. "Can I take the money?"

Alex barked a laugh. "Still smarting from the ferry job?"

"I want to buy that asshole back there a goldfish." Chihiro shrugged.

"Goldfish don't live long, but it'll outlive him." Alexandra nodded and smiled as her driver opened the door for them.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  slipped her glasses into the collar of her shirt. She'd been in the business a nice chunk of her life, and a lot of that she worked almost on her own (If you didn't count the people in the ear bud). It still felt weird to work without Chihiro. Foul mouthed imp grew on a body.

She smiled as she watched the beach life. Volleyball with your friends looked like fun. It would definitely be on her list when this was all over. Nikita waved at the hot dog vendor. "Dog with everything?" he responded as he handed a hot dog to a tourist painted with zinc oxide.

Nikita shook her head. "Bottle of water and a moment under your umbrella."

He chuckled as he snagged her dollar and passed her a bottle of smart water. "Bit bright today. New around here?"

"Looking to acquire some property nearby." She smiled and turned slowly as her hand twisted at the cap.

"I hear ya... I hear ya. Good place for it. Police crackin' on the riffraff, this is comin' up a great little spot for a place. Good luck on your acquisition." He winked suggestively. "Beach could use a few more like you."

She laughed and put her glasses back on. "Thanks. Have a good day... " she read his name tag. "Mack." Nikita followed the boardwalk to the end and looked out over the water sipping at her cold drink before turning and walking slowly back down to follow the street toward a series of buildings, half closed, half loudly selling annoying t shirts and other inescapable tourist claptrap. She nodded to a pair of fishermen on their way to the water and then moved between two of the clapboard buildings to find a side entrance. Nikita picked at the lock, slowly turning the knob as the last tumbler fell.

Pulling her weapon she moved into the darkness. She closed the door quietly and was creeping slowly to her left as she heard the snick of a safety.


	34. Chapter 34

Nikita gritted her teeth and threw herself to the side as lights flashed on. Her weapon came up. Her lips curled as she pushed herself up from the industrial linoleum floor. "Hello Michael." She stood slowly.

"Nikita... You know you're supposed to be dead, right?" He stared thunderstruck over the barrel of his gun.

Her smile widened as she remember Chihiro's response to that the last time. "I never get tired of hearing that. What are you doing here Michael? Are you..?" She tapped her ear with her spare hand.

He shook his head and lowered his weapon. "I'm not here officially Nikita. I don't officially see anything...or anyone." Michael slid his gun into the holster. He walked slowly around her staring at her.

"Why are you here?" she asked as she put her own weapon away.

"Percy left some devices, black boxes. I don't know where they all are, but there is one here. I had to find it. Keep it from getting out." He blinked slowly and walked close to her. He slid fingers over her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.

She stepped back. "Michael... I..." She shook her head.

He frowned. "Is it Daniel?"

Nikita looked down. "I have someone," she said quietly.

He bobbed his head awkwardly. "I get that." Michael waited until she looked up. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here for the black box too." She looked around. "Percy said it was upstairs in a safe."

"Percy told you?" He looked very puzzled.

"Percy told... a friend. I'm cleaning them up so everyone can move on."

He looked down. "If I had said something earlier?"

"Something?" she asked confused.

"After Daniel, if I had asked you out?" He looked up at her again.

She shook her head. "I like you Michael, but..."

He nodded with a wry smile. "So about the box."

"There's a Guardian. We go up and destroy it, then we deal with him or her." Nikita hoped this would go cleanly.

Michael looked up the stairs. "Then let's do this. A mission for old times sake."

She smiled and squeezed his shoulder as she edged past him and carefully walked up towards the box.

 

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  frowned and hit the dashboard with a snarl. "Come on already Hobbit." She straightened up as she saw the target move across the plaza. He was leafing through a comic book and not paying attention. She tried to work out the best way to encourage him to the car. She smiled. "Subtle time." She said before turning on some chase music and yodeling a Xena war cry.

Screaming tires thumped up the sidewalk and she pulled the wheel tight as she manipulated the gears and the pedals to produce a skid that sent her to the far edge of the water feature at speed. Chihiro slammed the gas for a second and pounded the horn sending people diving as she headed for the nerd. He was turning as she stomped the brake and skidded to a stop beside him.

"Wha-" he began somewhat incoherently.

"Get in if you want to live," she shouted.

He threw himself in the car and pulled the door shut just as the car leapt forward like a hunting cat. He stared as she began laughing. "Always wanted to say that," she explained. "Seat belt," she cautioned as sirens began to scream toward them.

He buckled in and slammed his hand into the furthest points he could reach to try to keep himself in one spot as she bounced the car down a set of stairs and into the Metro. She drove up along the edge of the station tracks honking her horn. Birkhoff screamed as the little car suddenly dropped down into the track area.

Chihiro frowned at him. "Seriously dude? Are your pants squishy too?"

He pointed. "Flashy lights! Train."

She grunted and shifted into reverse flying backwards into the darkness. Birkhoff kept slamming his imaginary gas pedal as the front light of the train approached them. "Who's trying to kill me? Is this really going to save me?"

Chihiro ground her teeth. She was trying to out run a train in reverse. They better hope the train was stopping soon or they might be a bit of a mess on the tracks. Good news. No one would ever find the Nerd. "Shut up," she ground out. She smiled as she caught sight of a repair tunnel to one side. "I officially love tiny cars more than my sports car now," she said as she slammed at the pedals to curve them to the smaller side tunnel used by track repair teams in golf carts.

"Are you Mercedes?" he asked. He was not loving Mercedes's driving. God he hoped she wasn't clinically insane.

"Who the fuck is Mercedes?" She looked at him before remembering a little talk she had with Nikita. "Oh yeah. Fuck no. She's my sidekick." She shot down the tiled floor and came out in a garage filled with golf carts and rails. She pulled out a bag. "Put it over your head."

"So I can't see the secret lair?" he asked.

"Fuck no. It's so you don't see when I come at you with a scalpel dumb ass." He stared at her, the bag halfway to his head. She blinked. "Yeah, its so you don't see the bat cave," she amended, telling herself to knock his ass out before she took out his lo-jack.

 

 

* * *

**Alex**  smiled as Amanda came around the corner. "Alexandra. I trust things went well in Russia?"

"I'm happy with the trip. You might not be."

Amanda's eyes narrowed as she looked closely at Alex. "You didn't find the project... or you decided to hold out on me. Neither is good for you Alexandra."

Alex smiled and moved in close to the other woman. She wove her fingers into Amanda's hair and pulled the woman's face within an inch of hers. "This is my game Amanda. Zetrov is my piece and you...my piece of ass if I so desire. I have Zetrov and you have an ally until its time to spill your blood. Don't mistake my friendly demeanor for a genuine desire to collude with you." She released her hold and walked on by. "Percy sends his best and wants to know what weapon you'd like for the fight to the death." She turned the corner and went to the gym.

Amanda smiled. This was an Alexandra she could work with.


	35. Chapter 35

Nikita aimed high as Michael aimed low coming around the wall separating the second floor of the old building from the stairs. There was a short piece of hall and two doors leading to the tiny apartments that were often found over small mom and pop type businesses of the era. Nikita moved slowly along the edge of the hall, stopping now and again as the wood made quiet screams under their feet.

Michael signaled at a door and she nodded. Trying the knob first, he shook his head. Tucking the gun back in its leather holster he made quick work of the lock. Nikita's eyes widened. "Get down!" She fired rapidly at the gap opening around the muzzle of a weapon coming out of the other door.

The muzzle disappeared into the darkness and she crouched to check on her former handler. Micheal waved her off. "Let's get him."

They moved into the other apartment sweeping the room. No one, but there was a very nice safe her eyes took note of as she continued through the place. Michael jerked his head at the other door. Moving swiftly across the floor they opened the door to find a mostly empty closet. Their heads turned at the sound of the soft thump thump just inside the front door. A girl of about thirteen stood with a cocky smirk.

"Hello there. Where did you come from kid?," Nikita greeted slowly sliding her gun back into the holster. "Who are you?"

The young girl's lips curled and she pulled out a weapon of her own resting her other hand over it. "I am guessing you two are here for me and my toy. Sorry, you can't have it...but you can have this." Her smile vanished as she moved to the side and pointed the gun toward them firing.

Nikita snagged a chair and winged it at the fast little imp. The gun scraped the old wooden floor as it struck and spun. The girl attacked with blazing fast fists and feet. Nikita held back in her fighting, the girl did not. Blood exploded from Nikita's lips as a small fist struck home. Nikita moved in and out with lightening speed avoiding contact and attempting to wear the girl down. Hurting a young girl was a last resort. She would avoid it if she could.

Michael raised his glock toward her. "Down on the ground... now," he shouted at the girl. She ignored him as she kicked low toward Nikita's feet. The woman rose above them and barely blocked the second kick. "Nice move, kid."

Michael cursed and fired rapidly at the wooden desk beside the young fighter, distracting her slightly. Nikita hammered her, dropping the teen to the floor. The young girl lay unconscious as Micheal and Nikita stared in disbelief.

Nikita bent down and searched the girl for any clue as to who and where she came from. The assassin felt behind the small blonde's ear. Nikita's eyes blinked rapidly as she cursed. "Scar here. Micheal...She is either Division or something a hell of a lot like it."

Michael crouched next to Nikita to examine the girl for himself. "We don't do this to children, Nikita. It would take years for that kind of training. This can't be Division." He grabbed a nearby phone cord and ripped it out of the wall, carefully winding it around the girl's wrists and ankles. He hated doing this to a child, but he couldn't afford to have her wake up in the mood to kick ass. She was young, but she was still a dangerous weapon.

Nikita looked at him sternly. "Seriously, Micheal? We're going to discuss what Division wouldn't do? I think you know better than that."

He had the sense to look ashamed. Was this the work of Division? "This is … I ... Percy could do.." He grimaced. "Amanda could definitely do something like this." He ran his fingers through his thick hair as he paced. "What the hell are we going to do with her?"

Nikita shook her head. "I haven't got the facilities to clean up this kind of mess and give this kid a decent life. I'm still Division's most wanted." She looked down. "Assuming we could give her a life again."

He looked at her. "I do... I have facilities." He lifted the child.

"Division? Micheal, that is not a safe place for anyone."

"Nikita, we don't have a choice. She's dangerous...I'm not sure how to hide this."

"Maybe you need to stop hiding. It's time for you to take a good long look at your loyalties. You're a good man, Michael. Be the righteous man we both know you can be." She looked up at him with a gentle smile. "Division has gone too far."

He nodded. "You take care of the box. I have some work to do back at Division." Michael left carrying his load. A part of him started asking himself just where Division was headed and where exactly did his loyalties lie. Did they lie with Nikita? They sure as hell didn't belong to Amanda, and they were not to an organization that would take a young girl's childhood away. Not like this. Not this early. Only Percy and Amanda could rationalize this kind of evil. Was this the work of Division? He knew one thing for certain, if it was the dirty dealings of Percy or Amanda, he would not stand idle. Nikita was right. It was time to take a stand. This was as good a place as any he could think of.

Nikita moved over to the safe. Safe-cracking was not her strongest suit but she had work to do.


	36. Chapter 36

Chihiro broke her granola bar in two pieces and passed half to Birkhoff - who kept playing with the bandage over the cut where his tracker used to live. "I can get you to a safe house as soon as this is over." She looked out at the darkened lower level of a parking garage.

He frowned. "I have a safe house. Why are we here? What is.." he waved his hand "this?" He peered into the thick grey and black of the darkness beyond the windshield.

She shook her head. "One of our little group has a plan to keep little Ms. Division busy until we can beat the hell out of Division as a whole." She grabbed a sack and withdrew a ski mask and a pair of 'dark' bags that would block toys that Amanda might stow with the money. She tossed the bags beside the seat.

"Ms." He gasped. "I just escaped Division and you want to have me in the same place as Amanda? The dragon lady herself? Are you out of your freaking mind?" He started fumbling with the seat belt. He stilled as her hand clamped over his.

"Leave this car and I will hunt you down," she delivered in a low serious tone. Her brows came down in deep thought as she looked at him. "Wait... you have a safe house? Non-drafty?"

He frowned at her. "I can't be here when she comes."

"Duck," she snarled. "Don't worry Captain Kirk. We'll be out of here in time for Dew and dice." She put her hand on his head and pressed him down as she pulled a leather folder off the dash and got out of the car. "Better be done in time." She tensed and pulled the mask over her face as a car's headlights came onto the unused level.

The car stopped at the far end and left its head lights on. She walked beside the nearest column. A woman backlit by the headlamps stepped forward. She lowered a case, briefly dipping into the light supplied by Chihiro's car. Chihiro felt the air explode from her lungs and leaned heavily on the column.

She knew that face. She had only seen that face one time... but it was seared in her mind forever. Chihiro snarled quietly.

"You have something for me," Amanda asked. She stood her hands outstretched and empty.

Business. Have to take care of business. "Footage I advertised. For Division's boss lady." Chihiro barked out after she managed to swallow the lump in her throat.

"What makes you think I would want to pay so much for it?"

"You want your throne? You'll pay." Chihiro stopped the spinning case with a foot. Leaning down, keeping her eyes on Amanda she opened the case. Closing it she spun the disk in its protective sheath toward Amanda. Chihiro went to the car and slid the case into one of the "dark" bags and turned the key. She sped out of the lower levels of the parking garage.

Birkhoff's knuckles turned white as she drove for the nearest freeway ramp. "Don't you know the first three gears?" he yelped.

"Met em. They were fucking duds." She screeched onto the ramp. "No one following. Probably tracking through your geek squad."

He watched her rip off the mask and toss it in the back seat. Her face was twisted in rage. "What happened?" he was scared enough of her driving, he so didn't want her mad at him.

She pulled out a phone and hitting a button, put it to her ear. "Met mom's murderer pops. She's a pip." There was a reason her father had taught Alexandra Udinov. He understood the desire for revenge. Chihiro understood that need but always thought it was out of her hands. She cut off the call and dialed again. "Alex, you call me back. You are going to have to do some major renegotiation," she snarled. Percy wanted to play with Amanda, he would be waiting in line.

She looked at a frightened Birkhoff. "Where's the safe house you want to go to Dork?"

His eyes widened. "Don't you need to watch the road?"

Chihiro's eyes briefly flicked to the road before she looked back. "Where the fuck is it?"

Birkhoff stared at the truck they were gaining on. He stomped on his imaginary brake. "Left exit, left exit," he yelped.

She tore off the highway. "Think its time to take our show on the road for a bit. What hardware you need to crack a black box?"

"What kind of black box?"

"The kind that keeps Percy's secrets."

His eyes widened. "There's a Computer Nirvana ten miles up on the right. Got money?"

"Enough to buy everything you need. Except fucking Warcraft. You buy that shit yourself." She shot a dark look at him. "I bet you play a fucking orc don't you?"

He shrugged. "Got a bunch of different characters."

"No surprise." She snarled at a granny leaving a fast food parking lot. "Ever quest two here. Azeroth sucks."

He stared at her for several long moments. "You play EQ?"

She shot him a serious look. "My fucking apartment in Halas rocks." She squealed into a side street. "Taking the long way to confuse any pet geeks she sicced on us." Chihiro blasted into and a few seconds later out of an alley sending a garbage can rolling and sending Birkhoff's nails back into the dash.

Birkhoff looked around. "I know I'm confused already. Basic UI or..."

"Fucking custom build user interface. Don't be a noob." She moved into a parking lot and panicked several shoppers as she skimmed within inches to screech into a parking space. She turned to him. "Mount up. We buy toys and stop for hamburgers and chocolate. We ain't stopping til we hit a safe house after. Got it?"

His head bobbed. "Are you single?" he asked.

She stared at him for several long seconds. "Hamburgers, chocolate and lots and lots of alcohol."  She bounced out and slammed her door before snagging a cart. She girded her loins for a very long toy shop. He had way too much gleam in his eye for this to be good.


	37. Chapter 37

Amanda watched the footage. Amateurish, but it could be what was advertised. Percy and Alexandra appeared to be almost chummy. Her eyes took in the background. "Institutional paint. Colors evocative of a Communist era facility." She considered her options carefully. Alexandra would no doubt expect her to locate Percy at some point and try to liberate him to take the leverage away. She would make extraction costly. Amanda slowly paced after she rose closing the laptop.

A knock sounded at her office door. "Come in," Amanda called.

Alex strolled in and joined her, moving to a lovely antique chair. She sat down and looked up at Amanda. "You rang?"

Amanda smiled. "I just wanted to touch base Alexandra. It's been a while."

Alex sighed. "Nothing new in research & development at Zetrov though I am tracking down a few financial black holes yet." She crossed her legs. "Black boxes going boom left and right, Percy enjoying his vacation... was there something you wanted to bring up?"

Amanda stroked her fingers over her closed lap top and smiled. "No. I don't suppose so, Alexandra." Her eyes shot to the door as Michael popped his head in after a quick tapping on the frame. "Michael? What can I do for you?"

His eyes darted between the two women. "There has been... did you know about an alternate training program?" He frowned and stepped in closer. "One maybe using elementary age children." His face was stormy. It reflected his struggle with what he was learning Division was capable of.

Alexandra stood and stared at Amanda. "Seriously?" She knew that she shouldn't be surprised by Micheal's statement, but somehow she was.

Michael's face darkened further as Amanda continued to look at him with a thoughtful stare. "I brought in a young child. She fought like a Division recruit. She has a tracker, though not on the primary rolls. I need you to access the Director level files and tell me what the hell is going on."

Amanda nodded. "Very well Michael." She paced out followed by Michael.

"Coup or big boom." Alexandra frowned as she reflected. "Deep satisfaction in an even deeper crater." She pulled out the phone that had been doing a message vibration for the last couple of minutes. She listened to her messages. "Renegotiation? What the..." She left the facility and headed for her car. She was tired of being confused. She hit speed dial. "Pick up!" She frowned as Chihiro's cell phone went straight to voice mail. "What the hell? Call me back." She hit end and looked up another number. "Hi... Nikita? I'm coming by... I think Chihiro's finally lost her damned mind."

 

 

* * *

**Nikita**  frowned as she crossed her arms. She looked at Alex with concern. "No. I have no idea what Chihiro is thinking. She was supposed to bring Birkhoff here."

Alexandra paced slowly. Where was Chihiro and Birkhoff? What could Chihiro be thinking? She pulled out her phone and pressed speed dial. "Shit. It's still going straight to her voice mail, Nikita."

Nikita gripped Alex's shoulder. She drew the younger woman against her sliding her hand against Alex's stomach. "Relax. Chihiro's a little... unorthodox, but she has a good head on her shoulders. Let's trust her. We'll hear from her as soon as she climbs out of whatever bottle the nerd drove her into."

Alexandra barked out a laugh. "I can imagine that. Birkhoff would drive me up a tree in no time." She smiled as Nikita's lips brushed the side of her throat. "Mmm. I love when you do that... You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Nikita turned the other woman and kissed her deeply. "I love you Alex."

"And I you." Alexandra moved in closer. "I can't wait another minute. Make love to me Nikita." The desperation in her voice spoke volumes to Nikita.

"Please," she whispered.

Nikita's eyes darkened as they roamed over the other woman. "I've been waiting to hear that." She tangled fingers in Alex's and drew her to the side of the bed. She quickly pulled off her shirt and moaned as Alexandra's lips traced over her collar bone. "Let's get that off," Nikita whispered, working her fingers down the buttons of Alex's shirt. She slid fingers through brunette hair and down the sides of her neck, as her hands slid beneath the collar of the plaid button down, pushing it open and then off at the sides. Kissing gently over her shoulder, Nikita moved her deeper into the mattress.

Alex gasped loudly when she felt Nikita's cool, smooth hands take the clasp of the bra and unsnap it, throwing it carelessly to the carpet. The older woman's thumbs slid between black lace panties and warm skin, sending goose bumps down her legs. Alexandra shivered at the touch. She closed her warm blue eyes anticipating Nikita's next move.

Alex had missed everything about the other woman. The smell of alluring perfume that was uniquely Nikita, the touch of deft fingers skidding over her skin, the taste of warm lips consuming her. She wanted to be worthy of Nikita. She wanted to be worthy of it all. Thoughts of what she had done with Amanda plagued her with every new kiss. Images of their deeds flashed over and over in her mind. The guilt of hurting the woman she loved for the act of revenge was no longer acceptable to Zatarra. She would find another way. Yes, she would... or she would leave the path of vengeance behind altogether.

"You mean more to me than having my revenge." she blurted out.

Nikita pulled back. "I know."

"You mean more to me than anything. I will never do anything like that again. I'm so-"

"Don't... I know. It's already forgiven." Nikita kissed and licked the nape of her neck, making her whine, before her lips nibbled at hot, flushed skin. Alex breathed slowly, with great effort, trying desperately to control herself. She wasn't doing a very good job.

Nikita smiled knowing that she held Alexandra spell bound. She loved every minute of it. Pushing Alex onto her back, she straddled her, running finger nails slowly down her chest. Nikita was thankful that Chihiro and Birkhoff were elsewhere. She had a lot of missing time to make up for... and it was going to be a very long night.


	38. Chapter 38

Michael frowned as he read the report. A few gifted children taken and molded into agents. Fierce, independent, innocent looking and deadly. He growled under his breath. He looked through the glass at the girl now bound to a chair after she took out three full sized agents and nearly got into the air ducts. He could not do it anymore. He wasn't about to be a party to the foulness that Division had become.

He had to decide. Destroy Division or restructure it back into what it had been meant to be. He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he considered. Destroy it and unleash something no doubt worse and less merciful. He had to take Division and bring it back to the original vision. He had to start by knocking out Amanda's supports. Michael would gather the reports to show what Amanda was to Oversight, and he would take out her apparent right arm down here. How to negate Alex...

 

 

* * *

**Birkhoff**  finished hooking up his computer as Chihiro came in the sliding glass door. "Seriously? Your safe house is a mansion on the beach?" She took off her shoes at the door shaking the sand back outside. She was just plain blown away by what this geeky fellow had accomplished while still wearing his leash.

"Not exactly a mansion," he responded absently. "What was that about your mom?" he looked up at her with trepidation. "You know... back at the garage."

Chihiro sighed. She shouldn't talk about this, but she needed more information and she needed this Birkhoff guy to get to it. She sat on the arm of a nearby chair. "I was ten years old." she trailed off.

Birkhoff's eyes narrowed. "Are you okay?

"My dad was the original invisible super spy and my mom?" She smiled fondly. "Mom was something special. She was a half Japanese, half Irish American with a knack for second story jobs. She and dad were both after the same safe. She cussed him out and one thing led to another..." She blinked back tears. "Mom mostly retired after that, but she got offered a stupid amount of money just to talk to a woman about a job. I was in the car, we were going to get my birthday cake. It was my tenth birthday... I couldn't hear the conversation, but they talked and mom shook her head. Whatever the job was ... mom clearly didn't want any part of it. The woman shot her and walked away...just like that... she was gone. I didn't realize it was Amanda until today." She looked at him fiercely. "Its on that black box. Why... what the job was... everything. I want to know... I need to know."

"What about your partner, Mercedes?" he asked.

"She wants the information on the black box too. Its why I was there to pick you up." Chihiro looked up. "She is looking for a lot of general information. I just want one file before she puts you to work in a big way. Think you can do that for me?"

Birkhoff looked at the box she had laid on the desk earlier. "Its encrypted and there is a bio lock."

"Can you do it?"

He smiled. "I'm Shadow walker. Of course I can do it." He took a noisy breath. "It may just require a whole lot of energy drinks."

She smiled and nodded. "Get to it Shadow Walker." Chihiro took a Red Bull out of the fridge and put it on his desk. "Good hunting."

He gave a half smile and popped the can open. His face lit up as he barely caught her next words as she left the room. "And yes I'm single." He turned on the computer and prepared to do battle.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Chihiro looked at her phone. She smiled tightly and moved to her room overlooking the water. "Chichi." She listened to him talk for several long moments. "She is on Alex's hit list but I intend to take care of her first." Another pause. "I love Alex, but this is about our blood. Our family. This Amanda is collateral damage in Alex's revenge... she is center spot in ours. I am having someone pull more information even as we speak." She moved out onto the balcony and let the salt laden wind push at the hair on her forehead. "Of course Chichi. I will make sure that fucking bitch knows who is pulling the trigger. Love you." She closed her phone.

Chihiro opened it again, remembering that she forgot to check her messages. She needed to talk to Alex and Nikita and clue them in, but she wanted to make sure they couldn't take Birkhoff off her quest first. She would call them in a few hours and put them off some more. She knew that in the end Alex would understand. In the meantime... "let em think I killed another phone." She smiled and went to go raid the refrigerator.

 

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  smiled and ran her fingers down her sleeping lover's side before she sat up and strode to the fridge for a bottle of water. The two dogs looked at her sorrowfully which ended up netting them guilt treats as Alex padded to the living room and stretched before cracking the cap on her water. She sipped as she took out both of her phones. She frowned as she read a message from Michael telling her to come in for a new assignment the next day. "I'm burned Michael. My face is everywhere. What the hell do you want me to do?" she asked the air before thumbing up the next message. Word back from her forensic accountant. She made a mental note to follow up. Later. Much later. She had something more important on her mind.

She smiled mischievously as she gazed toward the naked woman. Taking another sip Alex padded back to the bed determined to 'accidentally' wake her lover up.


	39. Chapter 39

Chihiro dragged up a chair and watched Birkhoff. "How's it going?" He was bent over the keyboard, his fingers flying. She wondered idly how many words per minute he was typing. Whatever it was, it was impressive.

He shrugged. "It's going. This is very sophisticated... I have to fool the bio lock before I can even start the encryption." Birkhoff reached into one of the paper sacks and boxes nearby and pulled out another cable.

She frowned at that. "But you can still crack the fucker right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm the Shadow Walker." Birkhoff finished off another energy drink and frowned at the computer.

"You say that like crazy people say... I'm Batman." Should I worry that you are going to get a craving for a sidekick in tights and a fast car?" She smiled. She actually liked messing with this guy.

He looked her up and down. "You don't wear tights."

Clearing her throat she left the room. Birkhoff grinned and looked back at his computer screen.

 

 

* * *

**Alex**  placed the cell phone to her ear. "Alexandra Udinov here. Yes... No of course not. Call the boys in... I want another transfer. Its almost showtime." She smiled and nodded. "All bonuses are in play." She hung up and began dialing again. "Yuri. It's Alex... No... I saw you called." She listened for several long moments before sighing quietly. "Send me all the paperwork. I'll take things from here."

She stood and took a deep breath of real unconditioned air before going into the Division facility. She got into rhythm with Amanda who was walking to her office. Amanda looked over and smiled. "You appear to be in a good mood today Alexandra."

"Home stretch on boxes, think I have a lead on your mystery project and found a Gogol tendril in my father's company to pull out and well... life is just good today." She smiled thinking of a happy Nikita in her arms that very morning.

Amanda's smile grew. She knew that smile and it had very little to do with business... thus far. "It is almost time for me to give you the final name then." Amanda stopped and looked at Alexandra. "Almost time for us to conclude our business."

"I'd bring out a bottle for us to drink to it, but I don't think we trust one another enough for it." Alexandra nodded as Michael approached. "Hello Michael. You said that you have a job for me?"

Amanda looked at him sharply. He smiled, darting his eyes between the two women. "Just a little courier work that fits in with your flying back and forth in the Zetrov jet. Fairly low priority, but it has to be done and as long as you're wasting jet fuel anyway..."

Alex smiled at him. Despite Micheal's earlier attempt to get her killed, she still liked this guy. He mostly had his head on straight. "Got it. Just let me know what and when."

He handed her a thick black folder. "Requisitions are in the folder. Get started with your next jaunt to Russia."

Alex waved the folder and turned. "On it."

Michael saw Amanda looking at him amused. "What?" he asked.

She smiled like a snake. "Since when do we worry about budget Michael?"

"Since I am trying to figure out what account deprogramming children comes out of Amanda." He hated the way she always looked at him like she was reading his mind. "I have a meeting now. Have a good morning." He turned and went to his office to gather up his files. It wasn't long til he was before Oversight making a case for removal of Amanda. Just slightly longer before his Russian contacts got Alexandra's arrival time and the fact she would be carrying some very nice goodies. His Russian contacts would no doubt make a pretty penny on selling that information to Gogol.

He looked sad a moment. This was not being the man Nikita knew he could be, but Alex had proven very resourceful in the past. Who knew what she'd do if and when he made his play for Amanda's chair. He had to keep Alexandra busy while he worked things out with Oversight.

 

 

* * *

**Nikita**  frowned as she stared at the large financial institution. She was considering running the same con as before but she felt better the last time knowing she had Chihiro at her back. As she walked into the bank, she hoped that the younger woman was alright... and the nerd entrusted to her care.

Nikita smiled as the bank manager freaked. She gave the same spill to this one as she had the last. She turned to face him. "Go out of the vault while I check. Worst case scenario, if it is a bomb, the walls will shield you and the rest of the bank."

He nodded and clattered to the stairs. She smiled and slid out the box before dropping the black box into her pocket. She was about to return the security drawer but dropped it as she heard a sound behind her. The door swung almost closed behind the manager brandishing a gun. "Who sent you?" he growled, not even the ghost of the mouse he had been earlier remaining.

She slowly raised her hands. "Percy, Percy sent me."

His lips curled cruelly. "Unlikely." The gun, even silenced made a frightful noise in the enclosed space. Nikita threw herself down though not in time to prevent a bullet creasing her skin with heat. She grabbed the drawer and threw it at him. The weapon went spinning to one side. They both dove for it. Ten fingers gripped it.

He slammed a fist into her bleeding shoulder. She held onto the weapon and kicked at him. Images of Alexandra flashed through her mind as they exchanged blows. There was no way in hell she was letting the Guardian win - she wouldn't be taken out inches from her happily ever after.


	40. Chapter 40

Nikita bent her legs around the the rolling table in the middle of the vault floor and landed it on them. The bullet wound screamed as it tore through her. Nikita had expected the pain and held on where the Guardian taken by surprise by furniture entering the fray felt his fingers slip slightly. He rolled away when she came up with the gun.

Her breath hissed through her teeth. "This doesn't have to end badly," she said quietly.

He laughed. "If you kill me, you will be hunted as the last person to see the respectable bank manager alive. If I live, I tell everyone that Nikita is alive and well. I get to laugh either way."

"Percy is a walking dead man. Amanda is in charge and she will burn you and bury you. You can run.. be free. I won't tell anyone." She was desperate not to have to kill him but one way or another, it may be out of her hands.

"Run?" he laughed. "You really think there is anywhere to run?" He shook his head. "You have a little safe house and you think it makes you safe? How long until facial recognition software finds you? There is nowhere safe. ..There is no one safe. Freedom is an illusion for Civilians. You of all people should know that." He sneered. "Give me the black box and the gun and I'll give you an hour head start.

She righted the rolling cart and placed the black box on it. "You don't get the weapon." she said grimly.

"Fair enough." He moved to the cart as she circled toward the door. As he reached for the box, she rushed him, slamming him into the cart and striking him with the butt of the gun. As he fell forward, she grabbed his hand and pressed it to the bio locking sensor. She slid the gun into her pocket and yanked the flash drive off her neck. She was no nerd, but she figured the information on the drive had to be a lot clearer when the lock was off.

The Guardian started moving again, moaning lightly and trying to get up. She grabbed the drive and put it back on the necklace before dropping the black box into its drawer with a bunch of magnets. Nikita put it away and turned back to the Guardian. "You just lost your leverage. Walk me out. Give me my head start, and take my advice, don't try to contact Division. If you're lucky, Amanda won't even register your existence."

He looked at her fiercely. He nodded once. "Go. Get the hell out. Watch your back. Sooner or later, someone will be there and they won't be as easy to shake as me."

She ran like hell itself was chasing her. Nikita couldn't wait to tell Alexandra. She laughed uncontrollably over the experience as she slammed the car door shut.

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  sat down beside Birkhoff. "So... my mother died because she wouldn't run a stupid raid into a viral development lab?" She frowned. "They better not have any objections about my taking that vicious bitch out."

Birkhoff looked at her with a worried expression. "Amanda won't be easy to take out."

The young woman smiled. "I just have to take her out where she feels most at home."

He did a fish mouth before swiveling his chair toward her. "Are you out of your mind? You want to go INTO Division?"

"It's gotta be the place where she's the most vulnerable right?"

Birkhoff turned back to the computer screen. "If ... she ever is." His face scrunched. "It'll be like going to the Death Star to kill Darth Vader."

Chihiro's smile widened. "Damned good thing I got a brilliant wookie on my side then."

He gave a half smile. "What say we call up the rest of the fleet before you do this?"

She shrugged. "I'll leave a message."

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  stepped off the private plane and started walking across the tarmac. She put the cell phone to her ear. "Chihiro. It's me again. Turn on the damned phone already." She sighed. "I'm in Russia again. I'll call you when I get back." Coming around the corner, she paused. Alex quickly jammed the cell phone back in her pocket and began backing up.

Between her and the limousine, there were three large men in ill fitting jumpsuits. If those were wrenches in their pockets, she'd be the monkey's uncle. She turned to find a well dressed gentleman in a pinstriped suit with a smile on his face. The gun in his hand made the friendly appearance seem a bit hinky. "Alexandra Udinov. It is a pleasure to meet you. Please allow me to give you a ride."

She frowned. "Thanks, but I have a ride."

He raised his hand and a man now behind her with an Uzi fired into the hood of the car waiting for her. A small fireball raced for the sky. "I'm afraid I will have to insist."

Her eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"

"I represent an organization with interest in both the bag you carry and the corporation you represent. Discussing business is hardly appropriate on the tarmac, Ms. Udinov. Why don't we go to my office?"

"Your office?"

He chuckled. "Not so much an office as an underground lair appropriately appointed for everything from business to torture. I believe you would find the former uses more to your liking. Isn't that true?"

She snorted. "Depends on the interrogator." She waved at the car. "Open the damned door if you insist on pretending to be a gentleman." Alexandra hoped they could do this the easy way because she sure wouldn't want to explain the body count if she had to do it the hard way.


	41. Chapter 41

Alexandra looked around casually as she sat in the antique chair. She was in a large chamber under a hotel. It had been appointed with Persian rugs and fine furnishings which stood at distinct odds with the grey concrete walls and floors and the pipes running through various parts of the room. Her host sat down in a luxurious Louis XV as a man followed in with a tray loaded with a silver tea service. She smiled and flicked her eyes back to her host. "Carrying on the illusion of civilization?"

He smiled. "Cynical. I like that." He leaned forward to take up a cup of tea and offered it to Alex. She smiled wryly and shook her head. "Fair enough," he responded. "To business then." He took a sip of the cup and put it down on the tray. "First of all, we have had … arrangements with Zetrov. We wished to ensure those arrangements would be intact. Secondly," his eyes flicked to the briefcase beside her. "We have been informed that you are carrying some information that is of interest to us."

She chuckled. "Firstly, my very fine host, your arrangements... will be funeral arrangements if you do not remove your connection from Zetrov and second... " Her fingers shot to the handle of her briefcase and used it to strike the tea pot. He threw himself left to avoid hot tea and flying metal and she threw herself right to avoid hot lead and flying guards. She rolled to the large steam pipes that bounded the room, barely sliding behind them as the bullets struck the floor where she had been.

Alexandra used the butt of her gun to knock off a valve as one of the guards drew close. His scream echoed in the chamber as he caught hot moisture in the face. She pushed him hard toward his fellow guard as her host calmly spoke into his walkie talkie. She ran up the tunnel but turned and leapt up as she heard echoing thuds of boots. Catching the high pipes she wiggled into the tiny space between pipes and ceiling. One guard stopped at the intersection ahead and gripped his gun hard as his companions split up. "Always works in horror movies," she whispered. She smiled and slowly pulled herself over the lone guard.

Slowly she pulled her belt out of her pants. Alex drew the leather through the buckle and made a loop. She dropped it over his head and dropped her self off the far side of the pipes. He was quickly and quietly taken out of the game as his head impacted the pipe and the belt crushed his windpipe. She moved forward and slid him down. Alex took his automatic, walkie talkie, and keys. She smiled. Nothing like seeing new sights and meeting new people when one traveled. Alexandra moved along one of the halls.

She ducked into a broom closet. She dialed and put the phone to her ear. Only one person knew specifics on this little pleasure excursion. "What?" she heard over the satellite phone.

"You are a dumb son of a bitch. I didn't kill Nikita and fucking me like this? Twice?" She whispered fiercely.

"This isn't about Nikita. I know you didn't kill her. I need you out of the way." Michael sounded calm.

Alexandra barked a quiet laugh. "Whatever plan you think I was going to fuck up? Don't count on it working after I get a hold of it. I will be laying waste when I get back there."

"If you get back here." He hung up.

She snarled. She needed to make her leaving this little lair memorable to discourage future visits from Gogol. She needed a plan. Alex looked around her and wondered if these assholes had ever seen McGyver.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  smiled as she scratched her fur boys behind the ears. "Good Fenris, Cerebus. Have you two been keeping out of trouble?" She sat at her computer and frowned as she realized the shell program had been used. She pulled it up and read her eyes narrowing.

She typed.  _'Nerd. Status?'_  She tucked her hair behind her ear as she leaned forward. Come to think of it, things had been going too well.

_'Mercedes. Thank God. C is going after the Queen. You have to keep her from breaching D. It's too dangerous.'_

"What the hell?" _'C has no reason to go for Queen. What's happened?'_  She felt cold as she thought of Chihiro in Division. Maybe letting Chihiro keep the Nerd for herself so she and Alex could have their alone time was not entirely a good idea.

_'Q killed C mom.'_

Nikita chewed her lip. "Didn't expect that."  _'Give me her plans. Will try to intercept or failing that, help.'_  Nikita knew that this was a suicide mission Chihiro was planning.

_'Please keep her safe.'_

Nikita chuckled. "Oh Nerd. That is so sweet." She kept her comment to herself as Birkhoff began filling her in. Her frown deepened. She had a couple days before Chihiro would be up to her neck. _'Where are you? I will talk to her in person.'_

Her brows went up as he answered. "Some people have way too much money." _'OMW.'_  She looked down at her dogs. They looked up at her with total love on their scarred faces. "Road trip?" She waved her keys and started grabbing her gear.

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  frowned as she laid out her gear. She pulled out her lockpicks and checked them. She jumped slightly as Birkhoff knocked at her door frame. "I know you're all 'let's storm the castle,' but you need to wait a little longer," he said firmly as his hand nervously twisted at the doorknob.

She turned and put her hands on her hips. "I need to take care of business. That's what I need to do."

"Mercedes is coming. She's going to help."

"Mer-" Her eyes narrowed. "How did Mercedes find out where we are?"

Birkhoff's chin dropped and he shifted weight from one foot to another. He looked up as she drew to within inches. She was watching his face. He closed his eyes as he thought she was leaning in for a kiss. Pain exploded in his foot. He started hopping around holding his battered foot.

"Next time," she said, "it will be the dangly bit." Grabbing her jacket she pushed him to the side. "Going for a run til she gets here."


	42. Chapter 42

Alexandra peeked out of the door. She smiled and threw floor wax on the side that she wouldn't want to run. She poured tile cleaner, soap flakes and insect killer into a bucket and slid it into the hall. As soon as the combination started smoking heavily, she fired the automatic. Voices barked out of the walkie talkie. She lowered the volume so she could just hear it. Alex smiled as boots pounded into the hall. Voices raised in confusion at the smoke just before she cracked the door to fire again.

Boot thuds turned into body thuds as the first pair slipped in the wax. She came out and fired twice more, this time not into the wall. She began moving stealthily up the hall. Alex needed to make a point. She stashed the file from the briefcase in her shirt and left the case on the ground. She brought the walkie talkie to her mouth. "I counted seven voices earlier. Now I count five. Want to play some more? I got nothing but time and you asshats to kill." She smiled and moved toward a branching corridor while listening for boots. Make this visit costly enough and maybe they'd rethink a second one.

Best part? This would be good practice for when she got home. She smiled as she heard the cries for radio silence and boots up ahead.

Alexandra stepped over another pair of corpses to see her host and one of his pet guards at the end of the corridor she was following up into the public spaces of the hotel above. She smirked. "It's been a pleasant visit, but really, I need to get back. I have people to kill and … well, mostly just people to kill."

He smiled and sighed. "You are quite resourceful Alexandra Udinov." His gun remained pointed at the ground. "I will have to remember that for next time."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're just going to let me walk?" She snorted.

His head tilted as he watched her face. "Just give me the file Alexandra. We will meet again to discuss the rest." He smiled sardonically. "I have gotten the impression that this may not be the best time for us to negotiate our mutual interests at Zetrov."

"You think?" She frowned and pulled out the folder. Dropping it she moved up the corridor toward her host.

He bowed and moved down the corridor with his guard who followed her with the muzzle of his weapon. Crouching, the Gogol officer picked up the folder. At his exclamation, the guard's eyes flicked to him. They never flicked back as the bullet from Alex's gun penetrated his brain.

She shrugged as she pointed the weapon at him. "The man who set me up sent me with a file assuming you would kill me and take it therefore it's probably useless crap. Me not giving it to you? Strictly pride... I want to have the pleasure of stuffing it up his ass after I shoot him." She smiled. "I'll send you a copy."

"I wish an after photograph of this man as well." He smiled back as he lifted the folder, empty save for a few mostly useless pages. "He wasted both of our time and far too much of my resources."

She nodded and backed out of the corridor before heading to her plane and her trip home. She had some major business to transact at Division.

 

* * *

**Nikita**  pulled off her sunglasses and whistled low. "I definitely have a different idea about safe houses."

Fenris licked her hand. She smiled and scratched his ear. "I think my safe house is safer too." She looked over her shoulder at a sleeping Cerebus. "Let's go reel Chihiro in."

She raised her hand to knock only to have the door swing open. Birkhoff stood there, his jaw dropping lower and lower. The dogs ran into the house as her brow rose at him. "Y- you're Mercedes?" he asked baffled. "You're dead."

"Wow. Where do I even start with that?" She shook her head. "Just get the hell out the way so I can talk to Chihiro."

He swiveled out of the way and followed on her heels as she moved toward the living room. She stopped suddenly and lurched forward as he didn't stop quite as fast. "Where is she?" She asked him, feeling slightly testy at his proximity.

Birkhoff looked around. "Oh. Oh. She's jogging." He frowned. "Is this like a faked death thing or..."

"Or.." she prompted, her brow raised.

"Like a Dr. Who thing?" he whispered conspiratorially.

"Who?"

"Exactly."

She shook her head. "Let's not start Nerd."

Birkhoff jumped as a nose came to rest on his leg. "You have dogs," he squeaked as he turned trying to dislodge the nose.

"Yes. I believe he's shaking your hand." She chuckled as Fenris snuffled Birkhoff up and down. Nikita moved toward the glass doors to the beach. Cerebus paced after her as Fenris continued his inspection of this new person. She opened the door and walked out onto the sand.

 

* * *

 

Chihiro slowed to a halt a few feet from Nikita. "You aren't going to stop me." she asserted. She wiped sweat from her brow and did stretches. Her eyes looked up through her lashes at her friend. She really hoped this wasn't about to get ugly.

Nikita watched Cerebus chase a bird down the beach. "Nope... I'm here to help." She smiled as the dog learned that running through waves was fun. Birkhoff was going to have a fit.

The younger woman stood up. "Alex is gonna be pissed that we are taking out the Bitch."

Nikita chuckled. "Alex has enough on her plate. When she finds out why, this will hardly make a blip."

"You still haven't told her." Chihiro heaved a sigh. "This isn't good."

"One disaster at a time. Now explain to me the whole Birkhoff crush thing."

Chihiro shifted uncomfortably. "He's cute... for a dweeb. I wouldn't even call it a crush."

Nikita hooted, startling Cerebus into running back toward them. "I was talking about his crushing on you." She slung her arm around Chihiro. "Tomorrow we plan the assault. Tonight? I am sensing girl talk."

Chihiro snorted. "And a shitload of booze."


	43. Chapter 43

Chihiro slithered down the duct. She groaned quietly. "Should have never cracked that other fucking bottle." Her nose wrinkled at the smell of ozone and aluminum around them.

Nikita laughed quietly as she drew up beside her partner in crime. "Told you not to eat the worm and chase it with vodka."

"Next time we leave the Russian shit to Alex." The younger woman reached back along her belt for a set of devices to confuse the lasers, making them think they were still connecting.

"What's Alex got to do with it?" came Birkhoff's voice through their earbuds.

Chihiro's eyes rolled. "You're cute wookie, but you so don't pay attention. Give me the freqs Freak." She aimed her headlamp at the face of the nearest device.

Nikita chuckled and pulled out a can. "Some lasers can't be seen this way, but sometimes Division trains someone in the ducts for tight infil work." She sprayed and smiled as red lights shone ahead of them. "You two are so adorable."

"Fuck you Niki." Chihiro crawled ahead to began setting up disrupters that would reroute lasers so that they could wiggle through. "Freqs?" she called again.

"You think I'm cute?" he twittered. "Oh. Take nine up from what I preset."

Rolling her eyes Chihiro set the disruptor and moved forward. Nikita's eyes narrowed. "Chihiro stop."

Her fingers immediately pulled back from the next section of ducts. Chihiro looked back. "Stopped. What's the problem?"

Nikita pulled up alongside again. "Duct panels ahead look funny."

Birkhoff cleared his throat. "Reading electronics. Maybe a weight detector... runs to the security system maybe or..."

"Or?" Chihiro asked frowning.

"Just tied to a quick kill booby trap with security only getting involved after the boom or the funky smell from the ventilator. Actually, I don't see myself as a Wookie. I am more a Han Solo type."

"Devilishly handsome, clever, etc?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah," They could hear his smile through their comms.

"Punch it Chewie, find out how we get around." Chihiro slid back to the intersection and prepared to keep crawling.

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  brought her capture to the interrogation room and cuffed him down leaving the sack over his head. She sat across and waited patiently. She looked up as Michael and Amanda entered and smiled as they moved toward her guest. "Ah ah ah." She said as Michael reached for the hood.

"What is this about Alexandra?" Amanda asked frowning. If Alexandra wanted to play games there were more pleasurable places to play them. She turned and ran her fingers along the perimeter of the room.

"You should call for a lockdown. You would really hate it if I have to get any more involved."

Michael stepped forward. "Is this about Russia?"

Alex looked over at Amanda. "You and Percy did a hell of a job. Your boy is growing up well."

"I'm not their boy," he snapped.

She looked at him calmly. "So you didn't just sell me to Gogol to get me out of the way... what? For your throne grab?" She looked at Amanda. "You as usual evince no surprise."

Amanda smiled. "He is a good boy. He just gets a little wrapped up in causes. I was fairly certain the latest would bring out his more... darkish and controlling side." She placed an envelope on the table. "Your payment Alexandra."

Alex opened the envelope and smiled darkly. "I knew you were giddy about something." She slid the card back in.

"Payment? What was in that envelope?" Michael was confused. "And who the hell is this? The Gogol representative?"

"Yes Alexandra, who are we entertaining?"

Alex smiled. "Call the lockdown and I show my card. I want to play this game all in. Nobody is leaving the table til the hand is played."

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  helped Nikita down into the bathroom. She sniffed loudly. "Why do I always get out of ducts in mens rooms. Fucking nasty."

Nikita looked around. "At least this one is cleanish. Should see some of the johns I've had to crawl through... Birkhoff?"

"Here. I want a code name. Call me Solo."

Nikita shook her head. "Fine Solo. We need eyes."

"Fuck sake," Chihiro responded. "Where do I patch in?"

"There's three spots that would be best. Main trunk off Tech Support, secondary trunk split off near the boss's office or in Aasgard itself."

"Aasgard?" Chihiro growled.

"Where the godlike computers live," Nikita supplied. She flinched as she caught a siren sound. "Lockdown?"

"Lockdown?"

Birkhoff swore colorfully raising Chihiro's brow in delight. "I have an in, but its limited like I said. Trying to get... lockdown was initiated."

"Gee Solo. How'd you guess?" Nikita replied sarcastically.

"It was initiated by Percy." He took a shaky breath. "He.. guys... you have to leave.."

"Lockdown Nerd. Plan B?"

"He has Clean Sweep in ready mode."

Chihiro looked at Nikita. "What the hell is Clean Sweep?"

Nikita nodded blinking. "Division becomes a mass grave."

 

* * *

**Percy**  smiled as Alexandra sat back down with the bag that was over his head, now in her hand. "Nice choice Percy. You take out Amanda and your life's work with one very messy blow."

"Thank you Alexandra. You have a fine eye." He smiled at Amanda and Michael. "Welcome home to me."

"You die too Percy," Michael argued.

"I die anyway Michael." Percy smiled. "Alexandra saw to that. She made sure today ends one way for me. I am simply taking Amanda with me."

"And me. And Alex and... do you know how many people are down here?"

He looked at Michael in surprise. "You do remember who I am, don't you?" He looked over at Alexandra. "I am rather enjoying this."

Alex sat back. "Naturally I would prefer to end the day alive, but I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Percy smiled brightly. "I would suggest that you send everyone to their little rooms. Alex promised me a fight to the death, but I really don't need a large audience. Alex, you and Michael will suffice."

Amanda frowned. "and if I don't agree?"

"I kill everyone."

Amanda snorted. "Have I struck you as compassionate Percy?"

 

* * *

**Birkhoff**  started talking out loud about power grids and... "You have to cut the heartline to the gennie."

Nikita frowned. "Chihiro... Amanda can wait."

"Saving my own ass is still a lovely addition to my priority list. Kill the booby trap, then we can kill the Bitch."

Nikita smiled. "Amen sister. Solo, give us our route."


	44. Chapter 44

Chihiro looked down the deep hole. "Damned good thing I'm a second generation second story woman or this would freak me the fuck out. You people have a super secret spy base built in a missile silo? What the fuck is wrong with you people?" She dropped an energy bar from her pouch over the railing and watched it disappear into the deep darkness below.

Nikita held up her hands as her face twisted. "Not me. I was a disposable cog even before I retired. Now tell us again Nerd...sorry Solo." She flashed a cheeky grin at her partner in crime who grinned back.

"Get to the bottom of the silo. Find the big thing in the corner with flashy lights and then ask me what wires to cut," he delivered shortly.

Chihiro started pulling out her ropes. "Let's skip the stairs. I got my fucking cardio already. And Seymour? You get me all wet when you get all large and in charge like that." She clipped the rope to the rail and dropped it before tossing a second harness to Nikita.

"Seriously?" Birkhoff asked hopefully.

Chihiro shook her head. "I need my head examined," she breathed out.

Nikita laughed. "Send the diagram to my phone Nerd. I'll be down there in just a minute." She climbed over the rail and began rappelling down the silo's long dark interior.

Birkhoff looked over his program. "I am going to help you kill the whole generator. The lights will be out for about two minutes before the back up generator kicks on."

"And when it does?" Nikita asked frowning.

"It pre-dates the power being run to the Clean Sweep chamber. Percy asked me to update all the power systems. I never detailed the work crew over there." He shrugged.

"Chihiro, how bout you cover me while I do the cutting?" Nikita detached her harness from the rope and moved over to the panel cover. "Found the big thing in the corner with the flashy lights Solo das Nerd. Let's get to work."

"Got your multitool?"

Nikita snorted. "Just tell me what to cut."

Chihiro removed her harness and drew her gun. She looked up. "You so need to work on cutting off those motion detectors big boy. We got company already." She jogged over to the base of the stairs and ducked behind them to give herself cover from above as boots thudded in their direction.

 

* * *

**"Truthfully**  Alexandra, I am a bit surprised at you. You fought to stop kill-chipping agents and now look at you." Amanda was apparently trying the calm reasoned approach with the younger woman.

Alex laughed. "Percy just wants his due. Just like me. Just like you."

Percy smiled. "We could set that to music." He sat back with a smile. "She is not the one with her finger on the trigger." He gestured with a recently unleashed hand. "I have the trigger. Alex is merely willing to die to achieve her goal."

"You can't achieve it if you are dead Alexandra." Amanda walked slowly around the room.

Alex feigned confusion a moment. "Oh." She chuckled. "Your big reveal." She leaned back in her chair. 'You have to have figured out that Nikita is alive and my lover... If I walk out of here alive, you know I will hold a gun to her head and look her in the eyes when I ask her why she didn't tell me before you did." She shrugged. "I don't know what happens after that. Death...it would simplify my day immensely."

"Lo-lover?" Michael's eyes closed and he leaned back into the wall.

They all turned to look at him. Alex shook her head. "I was thinking that he might be the guy to take Division up a few circles of hell to where it needs to be, but clearly, he doesn't pay attention." She turned back and shrugged again. "That's another vote for wiping this place off the map."

Percy grinned. "I would hate to ruin your fun Alexandra."

Michael straightened up. "Why are you toying with us?"

Percy laughed. "Alex wanted to keep me from getting away so she gave me a dose of amanita mushroom with my steak before we came here. It was actually quite tasty. The mushroom gives me anywhere between 6 and 48 hours to live. So if I want my...how did you put it Alexandra? Ah yes. If I want my shits and giggles, it will be here with you three." He sighed. "It would have been more fun with the black boxes."

Alex stood and walked to lean beside the door. "Black boxes? That would have been fun you wouldn't have lived to enjoy."

"True enough. But then, you and I are alike in that we accept death in pursuit of our completion." Percy stood slowly. "Amanda dear, how would you like to die?"

She smiled. "Let's take this down to the gym."

Alex shooed them out into the hall. A confused looking agent looked between Percy and Amanda. Percy sighed. "Joshua. Quit looking like a fish staring at two sharks. Go on and clear the gym and the halls. Everyone should go to their rooms for the time being."

The agent ran the other way down the hall pushing people to doors with shouts of "Go to your room." and "Get out of the way."

Percy looked at Amanda. "Clearly, he didn't come into his potential under you either." He offered his arm. She slid her hand through it and walked beside him looking thoughtful.

"His potential remains intact under a thick layer of almost incompetence." Amanda smiled. She walked slowly until the intersection before the gym. She tore her hand free from Percy's elbow and bolted for her office.

Michael watched her run. "Where is she going?"

"Retrieving her now broken gas mask I presume," Percy suggested before walking down to the mats where he and Division had shaped so many disposable lives. "Its fitting that it ends here," he said turning slowly. Alexandra smiled from the top of the stairs and looked down the hall at Amanda walking out of her office with a defeated look on her face.

She held up the broken mask. "You knew he would trigger Clean Sweep?" Amanda asked in an almost unbelieving tone.

"You are a suspicious and manipulative bitch Amanda but you just can't seem to deal with anyone who will go lower and blur lines even more than you. It's a flaw. I would suggest working on it, but you're almost out of time." Alex raised her weapon. "My father's blood is on every floor I look at. It's why I became Zatarra. Only way to fix that, is to lay some bodies over it. To the mat please."

Amanda walked slowly down the stairs. "Percy, we can get you to a hospital."

He laughed. "The poison is in my system Amanda. My liver is already dying. Unless you can get a transplant ready in short order, there is really nothing more to say."

Alex stepped down. "Simple rules... Both fight." She smiled. "You should try to win Amanda. Killing Percy quickly removes the Clean Sweep factor."

"I walk away after?" Amanda prompted.

"Only if you want the bullet in your back."

Michael stepped forward. "This can't - There has to be a better way."

Alexandra looked at him appraisingly. "I thought you might be good to bring Division back from darkness." She shook her head. "There is a better man in you Michael. You just decided to sit on him and become another one of them."

She turned and nodded at Percy who twirled a staff. He smiled and launched himself at Amanda as Michael launched himself at Alex.


	45. Chapter 45

Chirhiro fired into the ground at the door frame causing the agents just beyond to pull their heads back in. "Don't they know we're trying to save their ungrateful asses?" she shouted as a bullet struck the edge of the stair she hid behind.

Nikita frowned. "Most of them are too new. They don't have it worked out just how disposable they are." She pulled another panel loose.

Birkhoff looked at the diagram in the adjacent window. "You want the black wire next." He frowned. It was one thing when he was sending people he barely knew into danger, but his hands shook slightly at the sounds coming through Nikita and Chihiro's ear-buds. "Nikita before I do this next thing, I think you're already burned...again so don't kill me." He opened another window and crossed his fingers a micro-second before starting to type.

Chihiro and Nikita exchanged looks before Chihiro went back to cover fire and Nikita looked for the right wire. The Japanese woman grunted as a cut formed on her cheek from a bullet that sought her out in her hiding place. "You fuckers! Do you know how hard it is to cover that shit effectively?" She fired three more times and ejected her clip for another. "Last one Niki. Make it good."

"Attention Division Drones. This is the Shadow Walker. Put down your weapons. The agents that have infilitrated your facility are trying to save your lives. Your leaders are trying to implement a fail safe to contain your dumb asses permanently. Go to your rooms or the nearest broom closet and lock yourselves in. If you don't... kiss your asses goodbye."

Nikita cursed quietly as she followed a wire down to make sure it was the right one. "That'll either work or..."

Chihiro fired into the doorway again. "Or bring down the mother of all shit storms on us. Good thing for you Nerd..." she told him, her voice tight as she watched for idiot agents to put their big heads where she could shoot them off.

"What?"

"If it doesn't work, you won't have to worry about my boot up your ass. I'll be too busy being dead." Chihiro growled as the number of bullets swelled to a killer crescendo.

 

* * *

**Michael**  grunted as Alex's boot caught his stomach. They both went over in a tangle of limbs as the gun flew to the far side of the room. She slammed her hand over his ear, stunning him for a fraction of a second. She kicked out but was blocked.

Amanda dropped low and came at Percy under the staff tackling them both down. She hit him across the jawbone before yanking her shoe and hitting him hard enough to tear his skin. Amanda pushed off him and snarled as she yanked at her other shoe. Percy stood slowly.

Alexandra smiled as Michael circled her. "Did I offend you?"

"This isn't you. You're better than this Alex."

Amanda barked a laugh from twenty feet away. Alex pointed over her shoulder. "Listen to the wise uber bitch."

Amanda pulled the staff from the floor near her foot. "Michael is naïve and we are trying to kill one another. Good leadership."

"Excellent leadership," Percy sneered as he touched his torn cheek. "Its just as well I will be ending this for all-"

Everyone's eyes widened at the announcement made by Birkhoff as it came through the P A. Amanda recovered first striking Percy across the jaw and turning and running for the stairs. Alexandra snarled and ran after her tackling her former boss into the stairs. Amanda's fist threw back and knocked Alex off. Michael grabbed her and yanked Alex sending her rolling to the middle of the floor. Percy laughed and found a mat to sit on.

"If nothing else, the end will be entertaining." His eyes tracked Amanda as she crawled up the stairs. He managed to extract the gun and began walking after her. She thought she had a back door out. He would enjoy seeing that illusion shattered.

Michael crouched nearby. "You have to end this Alex," he reasoned.

"Nikita was here when she murdered my father. I bet you were her controller even then. You guided her murder of my family. You should have ended this then." She circled. "I bet Nikita is the infiltrator. Why don't you go find her and proclaim your unending love?" she sneered.

He flinched. "She doesn't want that from me. She wants it from you." He laughed harshly. "Or is she the next corpse?"

"That would fall under shut-the-fuck up," she snarled and leapt at him.

 

* * *

 

 **Amanda** came to the escape hatch and pressed the numeric combination. She yanked hard at the sealed door, cracking her nail. "Come on, come on." she muttered. She froze as she heard a safety being clicked off. She turned with a smile. "Hello Percy."

"Amanda," he greeted with a single nod.

"It doesn't have to end like this. Alexandra did this, let's take her out."

His lips curled slightly as the gun came up. "I'm sure that Alex taking me out of the equation so you could take the throne was all her idea."

"It was," she protested.

He laughed harshly. "I don't have time for deliberation Amanda. I have just enough time to watch your heart stop."

The lights went out.


	46. Chapter 46

Nikita nearly cheered in triumph at the resulting darkness but instead focused on getting her fingers out of the wires without electrocuting herself. She was ready to take care of business and rescue Alex, probably from herself. She turned and kept low as she made her way across the floor. "Two minutes until the change over. Time to rock," she whispered to her comm. She cringed slightly as her foot scraped lightly on the textured grey floor.

Chihiro chuckled a few feet away in the right general direction. "Good thing we packed for vents. Let's go pants these fuckers in the dark." She pulled her bag around front and blindly searched the contents before smiling.

"That's not... Princess Leia never pantsed anyone," Birkhoff complained in her ear. She rolled her eyes in the dark.

"Right. If you ever want a real kiss from me? You will get off the Star Wars shit nowish, Nerd." Chihiro tugged on her headlight and fired into the corridor again to make sure everyone was well back.

"Dungeons and Dragons?" he offered hopefully.

Chihiro shot him down "Uhn uhn."

"Lord of the-"

"No chance." she growled.

A long silent pause ensued during which they saw agents withdrawing into the darkness. "Batman and Robin, Abbot and Costello, Electrowoman and Dynagirl?" he responded.

"You Dynagirl?" Chihiro asked with a grin.

"Nope."

"How bout The Nerd and Chihiro, or you go back to Kaiken?" suggested Nikita before it could turn into a full blown squabble. "Or maybe you can both save this convo for later?" She pulled on her own light but left it off. She would save it for when it counted. They made their way down the corridor in the light of the single head lamp.

They threw themselves into a doorway as shots rang out ahead. "Ahhh, that would probably be the girl wonder herself," Chihiro mused before sliding forward to scope out the next section.

Nikita's weapon came up ready as a woman ran around the corner, skidding slightly in her panty hose. Chihiro snarled and grabbed at Nikita's weapon. "That bitch is mine," she called before raising her own weapon. Amanda was moving fast in the low light.

Nikita's eyes widened as she caught sight of a wild eyed Percy chasing Amanda with a gun and drew her friend down as bullets rang out again, apparently aimed at the sound of Amanda running in the shadows. "There is a line apparently... Alex brought Percy in from the cold and he seems pissed." Nikita watched the older man draw closer.

 

* * *

**Michael**  scrambled back in the dark. "Alex, please listen to me. I won't fight you. This isn't right. We can find a better-"

Alexandra chuckled. "Damn it... So you're not gonna fight me again? See this is bothersome to me. You are an ethical flag waving guy, a real red, white and blue Patriot, right Micheal? That is except when it comes to me." She listened for him and moved quietly closer. "I would love to see Division go to you except for the fact that you are a gigantic two year old, Micheal. You believe what you believe til someone gets in your toys." She circled first one way then another.

Michael gathered himself. "Let's stop this. I will reinvent Division... it can still be what it was meant to... it can still save lives... and you and Nikita, you can be a part of that ... or you can go your own way... I won't try to stop you." He hated that the way he said it made him sound weak, but too many good people had died over the years. He would do anything to make this come out right.

She snorted. "You think I trust anyone in this line of work?" She blinked as the lights came on.

He raised his hands. "I swear on everything I hold dear." Michael hesitated. "I swear on my love for Nikita, I will be the one to bring this place back and I will not hunt you two as long as you don't go rogue on this Government."

Alexandra searched his face for several long moments. "You take Division down the wrong road..."

He half smiled. "I have a pretty good idea what you could do to it and to me." Michael sighed. "How long does Percy have?"

"Til the stomach cramps start, or the hallucinations kick in?" She asked blandly.

"Death."

She snorted. "No death ... I just wanted to motivate him. He ate a variation on recreational shrooms. Slower acting and hellacious stomach cramps and vertigo before the fun bits. I want to shoot him myself ... I just wanted him to entertain me first. Keep your promises and fishbowl those two together and we have a deal."

He nodded. "What about revenge?"

"Those two spending the rest of their lives locked away seems worse than instant death ... and besides... there is only one person left I am pissed at, and its because she didn't talk to me." Alexandra nodded. "Speaking of which ... Let's round everyone up. I need words with her before I finish this and I do not want Amanda walking in on that."

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  ducked as a bullet smacked the wall over her head. The grey headed man groaned and bent almost double before firing again at the woman running past Nikita and Chihiro. Nikita pushed Chihiro hard to keep her from tackling the older woman. "Keep your head down."

"Amanda is all mine, Nikita ... Do we have a plan?" Chihiro whispered.

Percy stopped briefly before the two women. "I wish I had the time to kill you two but I don't. If you want to play with Alexandra and Michael they're in the gym trying to kill each other." He sneered and continued down the hall. He stopped suddenly and tilted his head as if hearing something. "Monkey?" he called before shaking his head and going on after Amanda.


	47. Chapter 47

**Michael**  frowned as they reached another cross way. "This is a waste of time. I'm going to tech and track them. You keep going."

Alexandra nodded and checked her glock. "Deal or not, if they give me any trouble, I reserve the right to shoot them both."

Michael smiled. "Before you cancel them, remind yourself of what it will be like for them in adjoining cells in the world's deepest hole."

She smiled back. "Oh yeah. Good point... I'll try to remember that when I find them." She jogged down the corridor following the sounds of mayhem.

 

* * *

**Chihiro**  and Nikita reached an intersection. Nikita looked back and forth. "Are you lost?" Chihiro asked finally.

"No. There's two entrances. One straight ahead through the locker room, and one around the left."

"I call the straight line. We get her, then I can go back to my bitch hunt." Chihiro jogged toward the locker room while Nikita jogged down the other hall. She stopped as she caught sight of Alexandra.

"Alex," she called softly.

Alexandra moved to close the distance between them. She looked Nikita in the face for seconds. Every emotion possible raced through her in the few seconds of silence between them. She raised her weapon with lightening speed. "I wanted to look you in the face... to let you see my eyes ... before I took your life and ended this once and for all."

Nikita sucked in a breath. "Amanda told you."

"And you didn't." Alexandra's face folded briefly before smoothing into her usual poker face.

Nikita's weapon dangled at her side. If she had to pay for her past, she felt it only right to die at Alex's hand. "Alex, I'm-"

"Save it ... you are the person I was looking for all this time. The one person I swore would die for all of this. You are the assassin that murdered my family and destroyed my childhood... you.. destroyed me." She trailed off in barely a whisper.

"Please... let me explain."

"Shut up," Alexandra yelled, as the gun shook around her hands. She could no longer hold back the tears that pooled in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Alex. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that its real... us ... my feelings for you ... I love you... I saw in you, a second chance to make things right. A new life... for us... together. Please just let me explain everything." she said frantically.

Alex took a deep ragged breath and lowered her weapon. "I'm not interested Nikita. I've got work to do." Alexandra moved past her, her shoulder hitting Nikita's before she took off running.

Nikita pressed her hands against her eyes. Her heart felt like icy layers of mica sliding away. She took a breath and attempted to steady herself. "Chihiro, Alex is following Amanda," she reported, her voice cracking slightly.

"What's the problem? Why aren't you with her?" Silence fell over the comm for seconds.

"Nikita?" she repeated several times. "Tell me what the hell happened?"

"Amanda told her and ..." she couldn't continue.

"Hang in there girl. This ain't over til the karaoke superstar sings ... Change course. Let's get to the party."

 

* * *

**Amanda**  laughed as she heard the dry click behind her. "It seems Percy, that you've run out of bullets. How unfortunate ... for you."

He dropped the gun, his face a malicious mask. "I don't need a gun to finish you." Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he fought down the waves of pain. "Monkey," he growled out.

"You've lost your magnificent mind. Such a pity," she offered as she grabbed at a mop that had been left in the hall as people had run for the minimal safety of their hiding spots. She lifted it only to fall as a gun cracked from behind Percy.

He turned with a fierce look on his face. Chihiro stood there impassively. "She took more from me. She killed my mother... all she did to you was fuck you over. Boo hoo." She walked up to him looking at him curiously. She hit him with the butt of her gun.

Chihiro stood in the silence of the moment. She looked down at him and then over at Amanda for minutes.

"Nikita," she said through the comm.

"Here Chihiro."

"I shot Amanda and knocked Percy on his ass. You might want to let our girl know that she has a clean-up to take care of."

Nikita looked silently into the distance for a moment. "Understood."

 

* * *

 

Nikita raced through the corridor until she spotted Alex. She knew that she was the last person the younger woman wanted to see, but there was still a lot left undone. She jogged up to Alexandra who pushed her back. "Get away from me," Alexandra ground out.

"Chihiro shot Amanda and knocked Percy out. We still need to finish this."

Alex looked around. "Where?"

Nikita pulled out her phone and loaded the GPS locator. She looked for Chihiro's signal. "B corridor," she said quietly. She grabbed Alexandra's sleeve. "Alex."

Alexandra ripped her sleeve away. "Michael is taking over Division. I believe he will make this place what it should have been all along. He says you're free to go, Nikita. Division..." She hesitated. "No one will hunt you ... Go." Alex turned and headed away from the other woman.

Nikita bit her lip. "Chihiro? Let's get out of here," she said quietly to her comm.

"What about Alex?"

Nikita shook her head. "I don't think she's interested in coming with us."

Chihiro was silent for long moments. "Nikita, we did it. We finished the mission and did what we set out to do. We can't fix Alex today. Shit's gonna start flying in a major way here. She needs to finish things with Percy and Amanda in her own way now... We'll beat some sense into her later... don't give up on her. Meanwhile, we have booze and a nerd to get back to... let's go party."

Nikita wiped the tears off her cheek and nodded though Chihiro could not see it. "Let's take the elevator up to the top. It's Division's version of the front door. I am done with pretending and hiding."


	48. Chapter 48

The onyx haired girl stepped out of the New York City yellow cab. She stretched as a wintry breeze slapped her awake like icy fingers across her face. She spat her chewing gum at the near by public trash can before taking in a deep breath and staring at the colossal Manhattan Townhouse before her.

"Nice digs," she whispered to herself as she walked up the steps.

The girl knocked and after several seconds impatiently knocked again. She jumped back as the door swung open and a shaggy haired man looked out. "Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested. Scram."

He was quickly pushed back by a diminutive Japanese woman. "Excuse him. He- holy cow ... Helina? How?" She was taken aback by this woman's resemblance to Alexandra Udinov's deceased first love.

Irina bounced slightly from foot to foot. "I'm Irina. Fedya says I look a lot like her. You knew Helina?"

"Met her once." Chihiro stepped close. "Why are you here?"

Irina pushed her tinted sunglasses up and looked at Chihiro. "Forgive me for the intrusion. I've had a very long flight and you people are not exactly easy to find." Irina paused, as they both stared at one another. "Fedya sent me here." She paused again, "Sasha - Alexandra, she has too much pride to do what her heart says she must. She would go on forever alone if someone didn't step in and make this right."

Chihiro skimmed both hands through her hair and sighed. "It's been more than six months, Irina. Alex just disappeared, fell completely off the radar. No phone calls, nothing. After looking for several months, I finally realized that she didn't want to be found... She broke Nikita's heart."

Irina nodded. "She broke her own as well. The hurt goes both ways. Fedya and I want to repair their relationship ... if we can."

"You're right. They both fucked up royally." Birkhoff interjected.

"Both victims of Percy and Amanda's twisted game." Chihiro added.

"Then you understand why I have come all this way."

Chihiro smiled and slid an arm around Birkhoff's waist. "This rude nerd here is my boyfriend, but you can call him Seymour. Come on in... Let's have a drink and make a plan to get these crazy kids back together."

Irina smiled.

 

* * *

**Alexandra**  tapped her laptop. A screen opened showing the view of two goldfish bowl cells side by side. Amanda, long healed from the eight hours of surgery that saved her life was continuing her rant, as Percy in the cell next to hers, tried to get the vocal coding for his eBook to ignore when she randomly shouted commands to it to annoy him.

Alex smiled bitterly. She had set out as Zatarra to get revenge on those who had taken everything and while they did pay it was not with their lives. And here she sat, paying for even that much with everything that mattered. She closed out the file and shut her laptop.

Fedya harrumphed and slid another book onto a nearby shelf. "You could be in your big office moping Alexandra," he said as he picked up another book to shelf. He found himself loving his new life hiding in plain sight as a bookseller. He even liked the nubby sweater and annoyingly practical shoes that Irina insisted were required for his cover.

"But then I wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing my second father shelving books," she responded smiling.

"I would be honored that you regard me as such, but with how little esteem you hold my fatherly advice these days..."

Alexandra blinked, cocking her head. "Sometimes, things don't turn out the way we intend, but Zatarra won in the end. I have my revenge, more or less. The rest is just.." she paused. "collateral damages."

"Collateral damages, I understand Alexandra. It is the other matter I am speaking to now."

"That ... was hard to forgive, but I've moved on." her face tightened, stoic as ever.

"Alexandra, some people deserve forgiveness. Some are victims of the same circumstance we find ourselves in. Don't you see that?"

She frowned. "The truth is after all of this time I do understand. I know she was as much a victim as I was that fateful night."

"Why are you still sitting there then? Take my advice, Alexandra."

Alex stood and paced. "How, Fedya? How am I supposed to say sorry I pulled a gun on you can you still be my girlfriend?" Alex slammed a book on the counter.

A book slid on the counter from the shelving nearby. "You could try pretending it didn't happen and just kiss me like you mean it?" came from the shadows.

Fedya harrumphed. "I need to do inventory. Put back that copy of the Count of Monte Cristo when you're done. It's worth more than my piece of crap car." He stomped off to the back storeroom as Alexandra turned and faced Nikita.

"Nikita," she whispered.

"Alex." she smiled. "Chihiro and Birkhoff said its time I stop hogging their couch. They gave me a ticket here."

Alexandra shoved her hands in her pockets. "So this wasn't your idea."

"Don't be an idiot." Nikita softened the rebuke with a smile. Her fingers drew along Alexandra's jaw bringing their lips together.

Alex pulled back long enough to climb over the counter and wrap Nikita in her arms. "I'm so sorry Alex... sorry for so many things."

"I'm sorry too."

Nikita smiled. "Didn't Mercedes and Dantes end up at a beach?"

Alexandra laughed into her shoulder. "So they did."

Nikita jerked at her chin as she peered out of the bookstore window. "Couldn't help noticing this is a beach resort town."

"So it is." Alex looked Nikita in the eye. "I love you Alex."

"I love you, too."

Nikita leaned in for another kiss, never intending it to end.


End file.
